BRUSSELS – The European Union announced a landmark 2035 ban on new petrol and diesel cars on Tuesday, as part of a package of reforms aimed at supporting Europe’s embattled auto industry.

The ban was hailed as a major win in the fight against climate change when it was adopted in 2023, but carmakers and their backers have lobbied hard over the past year for Brussels to relax it, in the face of fierce competition from China and a slower-than-expected shift to electric vehicles (EVs).

The European Commission is expected to propose replacing the ban with a less ambitious 90% emissions-reduction target, a move critics say risks undermining the EU’s green agenda and deterring investments in electrification.

But talks within the commission were going down to the wire ahead of an official announcement on Tuesday afternoon on what vehicles would be allowed to be sold after the deadline, according to EU sources.

Read more: EU drops 2035 combustion engine ban to boost car industry https://neweralive.na/eu-drops-2035-combustion-engine-ban-to-boost-car-industryhttps://neweralive.na/eu-drops-2035-combustion-engine-ban-to-boost-car-industry/