The days of the internal combustion engine are limited … at least in the European Union. Last week, legislation was agreed upon by the European bloc that would effectively ban CO2-emitting engines in all cars and vans beginning in 2035, and require a 50% reduction of emissions by 2030. “I am pleased that we reached an agreement with the Council on an ambitious revision of the targets,” Jan Huitema, a Dutch politician negotiating on behalf of the European Parliament, said in a press statement, notes The Verge. “This is crucial to reach climate neutrality by 2050 and make clean driving more affordable for our citizens.” 

• The plan is part of a larger push by the EU, one dubbed Fit 55, to cut the bloc's greenhouse emissions 55% by 2030. 

• Meanwhile, in the post-Brexit UK, plans to ban the sale of new internal combustion engine vehicles are set to 2030, and hybrid engines will no longer be sold come 2035, writes The Verge.

• Ford and GM are looking to keep up with the changes. GM announced that “it will phase out the production of gas-powered cars by 2035,” says Yahoo Finance. “In contrast, Ford is taking a more cautious approach, saying it will continue producing gas-powered cars alongside electric cars.”

The California Plan

Back home in the US, California is looking to set the national standard for vehicles (a mantle it's traditionally held as it's the nation's largest economy and population center). In August, the California Air Resources Board voted to require any new car or truck sold in the state to be zero emissions beginning in 2035. According to the Smithsonian, states from Washington to Massachusetts and Virginia are already looking to adopt similar rules. “We think of the California regulation as the floor, and we’ve set a new ceiling of trying to get that done by 2030,” said Anna Lising, a senior climate advisor to Washington's governor.

The Verdict

Such decisions couldn't come faster, and it's great to see Ford and GM starting the (electric) engine on changing emissions standards. The only party who may be opposed to such a speedy transition is Big Oil — which is busy making record profits.