The European Union (EU) has recently announced plans to phase out combustion-engine cars in an effort to reduce air pollution and combat climate change. This decision has sparked a lot of discussion and debate among policymakers, environmentalists, and the general public.
Combustion-engine cars, which run on fossil fuels like gasoline and diesel, are a major source of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. According to the European Environment Agency, transport is the second-largest contributor to CO2 emissions in the EU, with road transport accounting for about 75% of these emissions.
The EU’s decision to phase out combustion-engine cars is part of a broader strategy to reduce carbon emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy. In addition to banning combustion-engine cars, the EU has also set ambitious targets for the deployment of electric vehicles (EVs) and other low-emission technologies.
Under the EU’s plans, member states will have to ensure that at least 15% of their national car sales are electric or hydrogen-powered by 2025, and at least 30% by 2030. To support this transition, the EU has also established a fund to help countries invest in the infrastructure needed to support EVs, such as charging stations.
While the EU’s decision to phase out combustion-engine cars has been met with support from many quarters, it has also faced criticism from some quarters. Some have argued that the transition to EVs may be too costly for consumers, especially in countries where the infrastructure for EVs is not yet fully developed. Others have pointed out that EVs still rely on electricity, which is generated from fossil fuels in many countries. The biggest adversary to these changes is Germany, a country that has a huge petrol car industry and tradition.
Despite these concerns, the EU is committed to its plan to phase out combustion-engine cars. The benefits of this transition are significant, including cleaner air and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. As the world works to address the urgent challenge of climate change, it is clear that the transition to low-emission technologies is an essential part of the solution. However for example Porsche invested a huge amount of money into a hydrogen-based fuel, so we can’t be sure of what the future holds.
I believe that instead of focusing on banning gasoline cars in Europe which is relatively small market we should focus on tankers burning heavy oil, stopping out sourcing emission to developing countries and main pollutant like the USA or China.
I believe that banning combustion engine vehicles for now has zero sense. I am skeptical if in the next 10 years a better substitute will arrive. Sure we already have electric cars, but production of the batteries is not harmless to the environment either. Moreover still most of EU energy comes from non-renewable sources.
Switching to EVs won’t solve the problem as many countries use fossil fuels for their energy production. Additionally, if car manufacturers spent the money they pretty much wasted for developing electric cars(there’s no infrastructure to support them, so they won’t catch on) elsewhere, for example to increase the efficiency of combustion engines even further, the general air pollution would be lower.
I think that banning combustion-engines is very radical and Europe is not ready for it yet. It will take many more years to fully exchange diesel and gasoline for electric vehicles or even something else. I can see this happening in the future though.