Germany’s Bundesrat has passed a resolution to ban the internal combustion engine starting in 2030. Resolution which is not actually binding but it is something like political declaration calls on the EU Commission in Brussels to pass directives assuring that “latest in 2030, only zero-emission passenger vehicles will be approved” for use on EU roads. Even though that EU type approval is regulated on the EU level, it is not secret that German regulations traditionally molding EU and UNECE regulations.
Der Spiegel quoted that the resolution is calling on the EU Commission to review the current practices of taxation and dues in a way of emission-free mobility stimulation. That practically means stimulation for purchasing EVs.
EU auto industry ready to switch to electric power
Current situation is that the lower price of diesel fuel, paired with its higher mileage per liter, are the reason that half of the cars on Europe’s roads are diesel-driven. Higher taxes would fuel diesel’s demise.
With diesel already on its tipping point in Europe, higher taxes and increased prices at the pump would be the beginning of the fuel’s end. At the Paris auto show, the EU auto industry seems to be ready to switch to electric power, and politicians just signaled their willingness to force the switch to zero-emission, if necessary.
When EU carmakers are forced by law to produce the 13+ million electric cars the region would need per year, the upstart carmaker would lose its unique selling point.
The vote for an end to internal combustion comes a year after the start of Volkswagen’s diesel scandal. It also follows advancement in electric vehicles throughout the industry. Chevrolet Bolt will have over 200 miles of range, and Tesla Model 3 will have a similar range.
