The European Union assembly voted in Strasbourg, France, in favour of a motion that will require carmakers to cut carbon-dioxide emissions by 100 per cent by the middle of the next decade.
The legislation is part of the 'Fit for 55' package, which includes the ban of combustion-engine cars from 2035 and a 55 per cent reduction in CO2 from vehicles in 2030 compared with 2021. The move deepens an existing obligation on the car industry to lower CO2 discharges by 37.5 per cent on average at the end of the decade compared to last year.
Although the measure still needs to be confirmed by the European Council, the parliamentary vote was considered as the most crucial step in the approval process.
“Purchasing and driving zero-emission cars will become cheaper for consumers,” said Jan Huitema, the European Parliament’s lead negotiator on the policy. Huitema had also pushed for an extra 2027 interim target to speed up the production of clean cars, which...