Cars of the future — a compromise by the European Commission
The European Commission has made some concessions in an attempt to resolve disagreements with European Union states over the law banning cars with internal combustion engines. A special new category will be created for vehicles that will be sold after 2035 when the directive will be adopted.
Following long and intensive negotiations, EU countries and the European Parliament just recently agreed on a law that would prohibit the use of internal combustion engines for the production of new cars in the EU from 2035. This step is an important point toward carbon emission limits, set by the commission in order for humanity to not be totally fried up one summer.
However, a few days before the final decision, the German Ministry of Transport spoke out against it. As we wrote earlier, Italian authorities opposed such a reform too, calling it "suicidal". And while Italy was planning an alliance with other countries and a boycott, the European Commission worked out a compromise.
The new cars with internal combustion engines would be allowed for sale, as long as such vehicles only run on a carbon-neutral, environmentally friendly fuel.
Carbon-neutral fuels do not cause greenhouse gas emissions. The fuel can be of two types, synthetic and biological. There are several methods of producing neutral fuel, such as with methanol, microalgae, and electric fuel. Each method has its pros and cons: the research on alternative fuels has been going on for decades, and now this field will get its long-awaited finest hour if the directive is adopted.
The European Commission's project proposal, made available by Reuters on Tuesday, proposes creating a new category of vehicles. Carbon-neutral vehicles would have to feature technology that would prevent the cars from driving while using fossil fuels, the draft says. For example, a so-called "fuel inducement system", that will prevent the car from starting when running on a fuel that is not environmentally friendly.
Creating such a category would allow automakers to continue selling cars with internal combustion engines after 2035 when a new EU law will limit automobile carbon dioxide emissions.
