EU Waters Down 2035 Petrol and Diesel Car Ban: What the Vote Means for Drivers, Carmakers and Electric Cars
Europe’s plan to end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2035 has taken a big step backwards. Lawmakers in the European Parliament have voted to soften the target, opening the door for petrol, diesel and hybrid cars to stay on sale well beyond 2035. The decision is a major win for Europe’s carmakers — and a setback for the EU’s green plans.
The vote does not change the law yet. The full European Parliament still has to vote, and EU governments must also agree. But the direction is now clear: the 2035 ban on new combustion-engine cars, once seen as fixed, is being pulled apart.
What exactly did the EU vote to change?
Under the rules agreed in 2023, new cars and vans sold in the EU had to cut their average exhaust emissions by 100% by 2035, compared with 2021 levels. In simple terms, that meant no new petrol or diesel cars could be sold after 2035 — not even hybrids, because hybrids still have a petrol or diesel engine.
On Wednesday 4 November 2026, the European Parliament’s environment committee voted to change that target. Instead of a 100% cut, carmakers would only need to cut exhaust emissions by 87.5% by 2035.
On top of that, carmakers could earn extra credits worth up to 7.5 percentage points by building cars with low-carbon steel made in Europe. That would take the effective target to 95% — still short of a full ban.
The committee also softened the rules for vans. The 2035 target for vans would fall from 100% to 80%, with the same steel credits available. The 2030 target for vans would drop to 35%, compared with 40% in the European Commission’s proposal and 50% under the current rules.
In a separate vote the same day, committees also voted to turn mandatory targets for zero-emission cars in company fleets into “aspirational” goals — in other words, targets that companies are encouraged, but not forced, to meet.
How the vote went
The environment committee approved the plan by 48 votes to 30, with two abstentions. The proposal came from the three big centrist groups in the Parliament: the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), the centre-left Socialists and Democrats, and the liberal Renew Europe group.
It went further than the European Commission’s own plan. Late last year, the Commission proposed softening the car target to a 90% cut, with the remaining 10% made up through low-carbon steel and alternative fuels. The committee’s 87.5% figure gives carmakers even more room.
The vote followed earlier backing from two other committees. On 22 October, the industry committee backed the compromise by 49 votes to 27, and the transport committee by 27 votes to 18. The Greens, the hard right and the Left voted against it.
The EPP, the Parliament’s biggest group, called the result a major victory for the car industry, saying it had reversed the combustion engine ban. Manfred Weber, who leads the EPP group, described it as a major victory for hundreds of thousands of European auto workers.
What does it mean for drivers?
For ordinary drivers, the change means choice — and more time.
If the plan becomes law, plug-in hybrids, range-extender cars, mild hybrids and even pure petrol and diesel cars could still be sold in the EU after 2035, as long as carmakers meet the overall emissions target across all the cars they sell. The European Commission itself has said its proposal would let plug-in hybrids and range-extender vehicles stay on sale after 2035, and independent experts at the International Council on Clean Transportation read the rules the same way: any target below 100% leaves room for some cars with tailpipe emissions.
That matters because many drivers are not ready — or not able — to switch to a fully electric car. Electric cars are still more expensive to buy than similar petrol cars in most of Europe, and charging is harder for people who live in flats or in rural areas without home charging. A plug-in hybrid, which can run on electricity for short trips and petrol for longer ones, is a halfway step that many buyers prefer.
For now, nothing changes for drivers. The current rules stay in force until the whole lawmaking process is finished, which will take months at least.
Why carmakers wanted the change
Europe’s car industry has been pushing hard for a softer target. Carmakers say the 2035 deadline was too strict, too fast, and put European jobs at risk.
The industry faces three big pressures at once. First, sales of electric cars in Europe have grown more slowly than expected, leaving carmakers with expensive electric models that are not selling fast enough. Second, Chinese carmakers are selling cheaper electric cars in Europe, squeezing European brands on price. Third, building electric cars and batteries in Europe costs more than in China, partly because of higher energy and labour costs.
France and Germany, the EU’s two biggest carmaking countries, had already pushed together for a 90% target instead of 100%. The committee’s 87.5% figure goes even further than that joint call.
Carmakers also argued that the rules should reward European-made green steel. Under the compromise, using low-carbon steel produced in Europe earns credits — a move designed to help Europe’s steel industry as well as its car industry.
What critics say
Not everyone is happy. Green lawmakers voted against the compromise in every committee, and environmental groups warn that softening the target will slow the switch to electric cars and make it harder for Europe to cut the pollution that causes climate change.
Their argument is simple: cars are one of the biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in Europe, and every year of delay means more pollution. They also say that carmakers have had since 2023 to prepare for the 2035 deadline, and that weakening the rules now rewards companies that were slow to invest in electric cars.
Supporters of the change reply that the target was unrealistic and that forcing a fast switch would destroy jobs and push buyers towards cheaper Chinese cars. In their view, a slower, more flexible path keeps European factories open while the switch to electric cars continues.
The debate is not just about cars. It is about how fast Europe should move away from fossil fuels — and who pays the cost of that change.
What happens next
The committee vote is only one step in a long process. The full European Parliament is expected to vote on the auto package in December, although one parliamentary document lists 23 November as an indicative date. After that, the Parliament must negotiate a final text with EU governments in the Council.
In the Council, a deal needs a qualified majority — at least 15 member states representing at least 65% of the EU’s population. Governments are divided, with carmaking countries generally in favour of easing the rules and others more cautious.
Until the process is complete, the existing law stays in place: a 100% emissions cut by 2035. The current EU fleet targets are 93.6 grams of CO2 per kilometre for 2025 to 2029, and 49.5 grams per kilometre for 2030 to 2034, before the target falls to zero grams per kilometre in 2035.
The file is being handled by the environment committee, with Massimiliano Salini of the EPP as the lead lawmaker on the issue.
What about the UK?
The vote has no legal force in Britain, which left the EU and sets its own car rules. The UK still plans to end sales of new petrol and diesel cars in 2030 — five years earlier than the EU’s original deadline.
The UK government held a consultation on its zero-emission vehicle rules from 14 August to 23 October 2026, and confirmed in its Autumn Budget that it will publish its response by the end of 2026. A government spokesperson has said Britain remains committed to phasing out all new non-zero emission car and van sales by 2035.
So for now, British drivers face a stricter timetable than drivers in the EU — though the political pressure in London is similar, and the car industry is watching both sets of rules closely.
What it means beyond Europe
The EU’s decision will be felt far beyond Europe. The EU is one of the world’s biggest car markets, and its rules shape what carmakers build and sell around the world. If European carmakers keep making petrol and hybrid cars for longer, those models are likely to stay available in other markets too — including countries that import European cars.
The debate is also playing out elsewhere. Pakistan unveiled a new auto policy this week aimed at making cars cheaper and pushing electric vehicles — a reminder that governments everywhere are trying to balance the same pressures: cleaner air, cheaper cars, and jobs in the car industry. Read our story on Pakistan’s new auto policy here.
For car buyers, the message is that the road to electric-only motoring is getting longer — and that petrol, diesel and hybrid cars will be part of the picture for years to come.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2035 petrol and diesel car ban now cancelled?
No. The European Parliament’s environment committee has voted to soften the target, but the change is not yet law. The full Parliament must vote, and EU governments must agree. Until then, the current rules — a 100% emissions cut by 2035 — stay in force.
What is the new target?
Under the committee’s plan, carmakers would need to cut average exhaust emissions from new cars by 87.5% by 2035, instead of 100%. Extra credits of up to 7.5 percentage points would be available for using EU-made low-carbon steel, taking the effective target to 95%.
Can I still buy a petrol or diesel car in the EU after 2035?
If the plan becomes law, yes — plug-in hybrids, mild hybrids and even pure petrol and diesel cars could still be sold after 2035, as long as carmakers meet the overall fleet emissions target. Nothing changes yet, and the final rules may still change.
Does this affect electric cars?
Electric cars remain the cleanest option under the rules, and carmakers will still need to sell large numbers of them to hit the targets. But the softer target means carmakers face less pressure to go fully electric by 2035.
When will we know the final decision?
The full European Parliament is expected to vote in December 2026. After that, negotiations with EU governments will decide the final text. The process could take several more months.
Conclusion
The European Parliament’s vote marks a turning point for Europe’s car industry. A deadline that once looked unmovable is now being rewritten, with carmakers winning more time and more choice over what they sell. For drivers, that means petrol, diesel and hybrid cars are likely to stay on sale in Europe well past 2035.
But the fight is not over. The full Parliament and EU governments still have to agree, and the climate argument has not gone away. The question now is whether Europe can protect its car industry and its jobs without giving up on its promise to clean up the air — and the answer will shape what Europeans drive for the next decade.
Sources
- Reuters (via Northland News Radio), “European lawmakers push to ease car CO2 emission targets”, 4 November 2026: https://northlandnewsradio.com/2026/11/04/european-lawmakers-push-to-weaken-car-co2-emissions-targets/
- EU Today, “EU 2035 Car Ban: Parliament Backs Weaker Emissions Rules”, 5 November 2026: https://eutoday.net/eu-2035-car-emissions-rules-industrial-compromise/
- FleetPoint, “EU committee weakens 2035 car emissions target”, 6 November 2026: https://www.fleetpoint.org/environment-news/zero-emission-vehicle-mandate/eu-committee-weakens-2035-car-emissions-target/
- Aju Press, “EU car-rule retreat divides stakes for Hyundai, Kia”, 6 November 2026: https://m.ajupress.com/view/20261106001042514
This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.
