From 2035 stop the sales of diesel and petrol cars in Europe
It has arrived amidst controversy the final green light to ban on the sale of diesel and petrol cars in Europe from 2035. Despite the growth of opposing voices from a large part of the political world, from car manufacturers and dealers (who were asking for at least a less rigid agenda), the forced march imposed by the EU towards the green car was confirmed by the European Parliament with 340 votes in favour, 279 against and 21 abstentions. A vote that in fact has therefore split the community hemicycle and that many judge “one euro madness, a gift to China made by the component more extremist than European environmentalism”.
The new regulation passed thanks to the yes of Socialists and Democrats, of the Greens, of the Left and a slice of the liberals of Renew. There was also clear support from the delegation of M5S by non-members. On the other hand, the minority section of the European People’s Party that voted in favor of the stop.
The reactions
“We will become totally dependent – said lMember of the Brothers of Italy Pietro Fiocchi – from non-European countries, in particular from China, for example for microchips, lithium and cobalt. The environmental impact in some countries such as Africa, where important raw materials for electric cars are extracted, is terrible. My hope is that we will be more realistic when it comes to reducing carbon dioxide emissions for trucks and agricultural vehicles.”
For their part, the MEPs Marco Campomenosi, head of delegation Lega, Marco Zanni president of the Identity and Democracy group, e Silvia SardoneId coordinator in the Environment Committee, have issued a very harsh note.
“Industrial and political error”
“The total ban on combustion engines from 2035 and the consequent electrification in forced stages is a serious industrial and political error, which puts at risk thousands of companies and up to 500,000 jobs in the automotive supply chain”, he instead declared lForza Italia MEP Massimiliano Salini (PPE rapporteur in the Transport Commission). Salini then explains that “the European car represents only 1% of world emissions, scrapping an industrial sector in the name of ideological zeal is risky and will not bring benefits to the environment”. The decision, Salini concludes, “at the moment only makes happy the ultras of a bureaucratic and superficial environmentalism, deaf to the needs of families and businesses”.
For their part, those in favor of the standard celebrated with the mouth of the speaker Jan Hiutema. “The legislation encourages the production of low and zero emission vehicles – underlines the exponent of the new liberal formation Renew – These objectives will offer clarity for the automotive industry. Buying and driving zero-emission cars will become less expensive for consumers, sustainable driving will become accessible to all”. Statements, at least in Italy, however denied by the facts. In our country the electric car continues (and will continue for a long time to come) to be much more expensive than a traditional car. And the flop of incentives for the purchase of electric cars demonstrates the lack of success of the green with the public. Among other things, sales of electric cars in January even decreased compared to the previous year.
The fact is that the European game does not seem completely over, even if the road is uphill. The standard licensed by the European Parliament it reaches governments and political majorities, which could negotiate any amendments as part of the checks between now and 2030.
What does the standard require?
But what does the much-contested green standard provide for? With the decision of the EU Parliament, the obligations to reduce CO2 emissions for new cars and new vans become definitive, as part of the package “Fit for 55”. The legislation passed provides for the obligation for new passenger cars and new light commercial vehicles to not produce any CO2 emissions by 2035. The stated goal is to reduce by 100% the emissions of these types of vehicles compared to 2021. Interim emission reduction targets pfor 2030 they have been set at 55% for cars and 50% for vans. Manufacturers with a limited annual production volume (1,000 to 10,000 new passenger cars or 1,000 to 22,000 new vans) are eligible for a derogation until the end of 2035. Every two years, starting at the end of 2025, the Commission will publish a report to evaluate the progress made in the field of zero emission mobility in road transport.
Also from the USA a gift to China
In the same hours of the European Parliament’s pro-China decision, news arrives from the USA that makes us reflect even more on the role of the Dragon in the future of the car. There Ford has in fact announced a mega project for the cconstruction of batteries for green cars thanks to the help of the Chinese. The $3.5 billion factory will be built in Michigan, about one hundred and fifty kilometers from Detroit, and thanks to the Chinese technology of Catl it will become one of the most important plants of the multinational, which aims to become the protagonist of the transition to electric cars. Ford should take over 2500 people and production will start from 2026.
It was well known that the American automaker was engaging in the green transition, the novelty is that the cornerstone of the project, i.e. the production of batteries, will make use of the technology and services of a Chinese conglomerate, Catl, the world‘s largest battery manufacturerwhich has thirteen plants in Europe and Asia but none, so far, in the United States.
A decision, that of Ford, which appears as a real one earthquake for the four-wheeler sector. Suffice it to say that only about twenty years ago the situation was diametrically opposite: it was in fact the Chinese who asked the Americans (and Europeans) to bring investments and technological knowledge to China. Today the roles have reversed. A situation that does not worry Ford’s top management. “The agreement – commented the president of the American company, William Clay Ford Jr. – it will help us build electric cars faster and CATL will help us learn quickly, so we can build batteries ourselves”.
The White House leads the electric race
On the other hand, the White House is leading the electric race. President Biden has launched a plan that provides direct support for 7.5 billion dollars to car manufacturers that convert to green. And the goal of the president himself is to have in the 2030 in the USA a circulating car park made up of al 50% electric cars. But perhaps Washington has not come to terms with the growing Chinese dominance over the raw materials, components and technologies of the electric car.
The announcement of the alliance with the Dragon in a strategic sector such as the automotive industrycomes at a time of high tensions between the US and China. So while the Secretary of State Antony Blink has canceled its first official visit to China (after the shooting down of the Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina) and one of the historic American companies, Ford, announces its collaboration with the Chinese conglomerate.
Cattle (Contemporary amperex technology), the world‘s largest manufacturer of batteries for electric vehicles has long since set its sights also on Europeso much so that the first European plant (and the first outside China) located in the city of Erfurt, in central Germany battery production started in January. But already in August of last year the Chinese giant announced its intention to build another factory within five years: this time in Hungary, investing 7.3 billion euros together with Mercedes-Benz. The production should be 100 GWh and the batteries come off the factory lines they will supply in addition to Mercedes, Volkswagen, BMW and Stellantis. There is more. In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Matthias Zentgraf, the president of Catl in the European area, he said that the headquarters in China are evaluating the construction of a third plant in the Old Continent.