After vote in Brussels last Monday evening, a majority of the European Parliament favored a Commission proposal that would no longer automatically classify electric cars as climate-neutral vehicles.
In the proposal, the CO2 emissions of electric cars would depend on the electricity mix used to charge the car, meaning electric cars would not necessarily be classified as “electric only”.
The EU plans to reassess the phase-out of combustion engines, based on the latest data and developments.
So what has brought on this sudden episode of political sobriety in Brussels? Probably a good dose of reality. Here are 4 possible reasons behind the EU’s new position:
1. China
The automotive industry and many EU states warn of the economic and social consequences of a ban on combustion engines.
Electric car production in Europe cannot compete with the far lower costs in China. Europe’s car production would move overseas, and thus result hundreds of thousands of lost jobs – and lots of social unrest.
Currently Europe is already gripped by social unrest as farmers and truckers protest in the streets against radical green policies.