European Parliament bans sales of petrol and diesel cars from 2035

The European Parliament on Tuesday formally approved the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in the European Union from 2035.

The landmark rules will require that by 2035 carmakers must achieve a 100% cut in CO2 emissions from new cars sold, which would make it impossible to sell new fossil fuel-powered vehicles in the 27-country bloc.

The vote received 340 votes for, 279 against and 21 abstentions.

"The operating costs of an electric vehicle are already lower than the operating costs of a vehicle with an internal combustion engine," Jan Huitema, the parliament's lead negotiator on the rules, said, adding that it was crucial to bring more affordable electric vehicles to consumers.

EU countries agreed the deal with lawmakers last October, but still need to formally rubber stamp the rules before they can take effect. Final approval is expected in March.

From 2035, all new cars that come on the market cannot emit any CO2. This is to ensure that by 2050, the transport sector can become carbon-neutral.

What will happen to current petrol and diesel-driven cars? Can we still drive them after 2035?

Yes, you can still drive your current car. The new rules don’t mean that all cars on the road have to produce zero CO2 emissions by 2035. These rules don’t affect existing cars. If you buy a new car now, you can drive it until the end of its lifespan.

Given the average life span of a car is 15 years, legislation has to start in 2035 for all cars to be CO2-neutral by 2050.

It will also still be possible to buy and sell second hand petrol and diesel-driven cars after 2035. However, the total cost of ownership - cost of fuel, maintenance, purchasing and insurance - might increase.