EU Climate Chief: Soaring Electric Car Sales Ease Pressure on CO2 Standards
Impact of Electric Vehicle Sales on EU CO2 Regulations
Shifting Attitudes Among EU Member States
LUXEMBOURG, June 25 (Reuters) - A spectacular rise in electric car sales in Europe has shifted some countries away from advocating for weaker rules for the future sales of combustion engine cars, EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said on Thursday.
Debate Over Existing CO2 Emission Targets
"Some have indeed been saying, both member states and the European Parliament, 'isn't this a sign that the status quo was already good enough?'," Hoekstra said before a meeting of EU environment ministers in Luxembourg, referring to a previous target requiring a 100% cut in CO2 emissions from cars by 2035.
Revised EU Commission Proposal
The EU Commission late last year dropped that effective ban on new combustion-engine cars from 2035 after pressure from the region's auto sector, changing the target to a 90% reduction.
Commissioner Hoekstra’s Perspective on Electric Vehicle Growth
Hoekstra said he still preferred the new proposal, but also said the rising sales of electric cars were "very helpful."
Electric Vehicle Sales in Major Markets
"Electric vehicle sales, particularly in the three largest markets, but also secondhand (are) truly very impressive, with tens of percentages more than in the year before," Hoekstra said.
Reporting and Editing Credits
(Reporting by Kate Abnett, writing by Bart Meijer; Editing by Aidan Lewis)
