Autoblog: Report: EU working to ban gas and diesel-powered cars by 2050

CrzRsn

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According to new reports, the European Union will announce plans to ban all fossil fuel-powered cars in Europe by 2050. The detailed plan will be outlined in the European Union's Roadmap on Transport, which will come out on Monday. By 2030, the EU plans to have reduced fossil fuel traffic by half, particularly in urban areas.

The EU hopes to achieve its goal by ramping up focus on hybrid technology in the next couple decades to make a smooth transition to all-electric power by the middle of the century. A big part of the shift seems to be moving away from personal transportation and toward public conveyances wherever possible.

The EU says the overall goal for the project is to reduce traffic-related C02 emissions by 60 percent in 2050. A big part of the reduction will come from the effort to achieve zero-C02 transportation in major urban areas, where people travel by car 75 percent of the time.

For its part, Ford Motor Company has already come out with a response to the legislation, criticizing the EU's plan, and we wouldn't be surprised to see more statements from other automakers follow suit soon. You can read Ford's response in their official press release after the jump.

Ford Says EU's Proposals on Future Transport Policy Should Address Congestion, Environmental Issues While Preserving Consumer Choice and Jobs

? Ford believes the White Paper should address the issues of congestion and environmental issues associated with vehicles in urban areas, while preserving consumer choice, jobs and economic growth

? Ford calls for a sensible, multi-stakeholder debate on improving the road network and infrastructure in urban areas as part of an overall discussion on future transport policy
? European policy also needs to be more holistic, and Stephen Odell calls for the development of an industrial policy to improve Europe's competitiveness

COLOGNE, Germany, March 28, 2011 ? Ford Motor Company has recognized for many years that there are congestion and environmental concerns associated with the use of vehicles, particularly in urban environments. This is why Ford has been actively pursuing a range of lower CO2 technologies, including electric vehicles.

While the European Commission's intentions are positive, Ford believes there are other policy proposals that would better achieve the end goal than the recommendations in the White Paper on Transport Policy that was published today.

"The Commission's position paper while well intentioned would not achieve its goals of improving transportation policy," said Stephen Odell, chairman and CEO, Ford of Europe. "I believe the Commission should address the environmental and congestion issues associated with vehicles in urban areas to ensure consumer choice, and drive jobs and economic growth in Europe."

Ford believes the proposals outlined in the White Paper ? which call for a 50 per cent reduction in internal combustion-engined cars in urban areas by 2030, and a complete ban by 2050 ? would not effectively address the issues of congestion and environmental improvement in urban areas. The proposal seeks to limit consumer choice of what vehicles can and cannot be purchased, and a more robust approach would better improve road transport infrastructure.
"While expanding the number of electric vehicles could help with our shared goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions depending on how the electricity is generated, it will not help us tackle the issue of urban congestion. This situation will best be resolved through a sensible debate on how to improve the road network and other aspects of the road infrastructure in urban areas as part of a holistic discussion on transport policy," Odell said.

Ford also questioned if more environmental benefits could be achieved through alternative proposals not outlined in the White Paper. Electric vehicles undoubtedly have an important part to play in the future of road transport. The White Paper, however, does not tackle the issue of how such a sharp demand for electricity within 20 years will be achieved. Ford believes any proposals that seek to rapidly ramp-up the electric vehicle fleet not only need to be market driven, but also must be aligned to an overall European Union energy policy. "We can do more to advance the debate on the future of urban mobility in the EU if we maintain and enhance the Commission's previous, integrated, multi-modal transport approach that does not favour some transportation modes over others." Ford would welcome the Commission adopting a more realistic and holistic approach to policy. In particular, it needs to pay much closer attention to the competitiveness of the European automotive industry, which it presumably hopes will be able to make the huge investments necessary to develop cleaner and safer vehicles. "There is a great need for the European Commission to develop a holistic industrial policy to enhance Europe's international competitiveness," Odell said. "Industry is an important wealth-creator for the European economy, and a vital driver for technological innovation."

"As we have seen in recent months with the German economy, industry is key in aiding economic growth and well-being. It is critical for the future of the European economy that a comprehensive policy is created aimed at strengthening Europe's industrial base."


They're (not Ford) kidding right? They seriously want to ban all gas and diesel cars in 40 years?
 
It'd be pretty pathetic if we still had to fill up with dinosaurs 40 years from now. I want to wizz around in electric cars that go like stink and avoid giving money to despotic rulers in hot places.
 
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The EU can kiss my shiny metal exhaustpipe......

In 40 years time the yoke that is the EU will have fallen apart drowning in their own burocracy anyway.
 
thats a shame, the ICE is supposed to still be the prime mover even by 2070. This is just what Ive heard from people in the know. This is especially the case for off highway applications where the big diesel engine is king.

Also Hybrids are a big fat joke.... oh yeah I see you there Prius driver, burning down the outside lane of the M1 propelling your smug face down the road at 90mph saving the planet.... yeah. Thats about as bad as you can get, even if your engine runs on the Atkinson cycle. Hybrids are a band-aid at best and not even one of those good fabric water proof band aids you get from rich mans first aid kits.

And get this

Government wants more people to use trains. I just went to Swansea this weekend, 4 in a car, about 400 miles. Took 3-4 hours and it cost me ?12 in fuel. If I went on the train it would cost me ?65 (off peak meaning i have to go with the shitty times or ?98 anytime), take 5 hours to get there and a whopping 12 hours to get back (leave sat 1pm return sunday 6pm)!!! so its cost nearly 5 times as much and takes a day to return. That right there is why public transport like trains fail in my eyes and always will unless theres a massively comprehensive network of rail ways across the country.
 
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Can we power our cars with bureaucrats then?

I have been doing it for years with treehuggers, I don't see why not........bureaucrats might take longer to liquidise though, they eat more meat so they should be slightly more substantial.
 
Hah.

I have a feeling that will work as well as the
18th amendment.

We love our fossil fuel burning cars, dammit.

I'm hoping that a good alternative fuel will come out so we can keep our cars on the road, shooting fire and thunder from the tailpipes, but alas, the EU seeks to make it a pipe dream with their close-minded obsession with buzz words.
 
This has been beaten to death by the German press some weeks ago. While some lobbying to make this never happen surely won't do any harm, it is completely blown out of proportion. The supposed "EU Plans" come from an internal paper/draft of some subcomittee of the European Commission that's not even currently considered to become a law.

And even if this numbers become part of the "Roadmap" it does not make them a law either.

Apart from that, even Ford don't claim the EU is planning a complete ban: They plan (or, more correctly, the internal draft that is not even considered to become a law theorizes about) a ban of all combustion engine powered cars from "urban areas". No one is planning to take the ability to drive to the shops away from some guy in a rural village. I don't say i am for this ban (i am against it for purely selfish reasons, i.e. because i want to keep my car in front of my house), but what's proposed by this internal draft is not the complete ban it's made out to be here.
 
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And in Italy everyone will ignore the law and nothing will change.

And in Germany they will enjoy the pain.

This is without doubt one of the biggest justifications of my position on the EEC. Remember they want 6% more budget this year whilst everyone else is trying to cut, cut, cut!
 
It'd be pretty pathetic if we still had to fill up with dinosaurs 40 years from now. I want to wizz around in electric cars that go like stink and avoid giving money to despotic rulers in hot places.

Pretty much. We have the tech to move over now. It's just a matter of setting it up. I doubt you'll need a ban. Auto makers will probably be making mostly electric cars by then anyway.
 
@Cobol: The fun thing is that Britain willingly cut itself off the good parts about the EU: Even with bailing out Ireland, Greece and co repeatedly, the common currency and trade union has done so much good for the partaking countries' economies that the net balance of being in the EU still is hugely positive. As that's brutally off topic here i won't try to back this up by non-german sources, i just wanted to quickly point it out...
 
We should be focusing on hydrogen storage methods so that we can have hydrogen powered ICEs. Best of both worlds.

But anyways, this is a stupid plan. Let the market decide how the transition happens. Battery powered cars are not necessarily the next best step.
 
@Cobol: The fun thing is that Britain willingly cut itself off the good parts about the EU: Even with bailing out Ireland, Greece and co repeatedly, the common currency and trade union has done so much good for the partaking countries' economies that the net balance of being in the EU still is hugely positive. As that's brutally off topic here i won't try to back this up by non-german sources, i just wanted to quickly point it out...
There are no good parts, none what so ever for us. The only two good things were a market for our manufacturers - well we no longer make anything, and two Regional Aid - did not happen, we just pay in.

Anyhow, banning fossile fuel cars from the centre of cities, why is this anything to do with the EU anyway? I want to ban the use of all languages other than English (British variety) - no that is not for the EU to decide either.

Unless and until they come up with environmentally friendly and cost effective power generation and battery technology it will be horses, bicycles and sedan chairs.
 
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4 years to go...

Back_to_the_Future__Skyway_C25_by_zonefox.jpg


Anyone check with Goldie Wilson III on his progress?


EDIT: Also, the Mr. Fusion is only for the time circuit. Doesn't the car still run on the ICE?
 
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What the fuck!?

Why don't they ban ocean liners instead? They kinda use a bit more oil then a car and is a luxury item, not a necessity.
 
Pretty much. We have the tech to move over now. It's just a matter of setting it up. I doubt you'll need a ban. Auto makers will probably be making mostly electric cars by then anyway.
Fun fact, we don't have power generating infrastructure to support an all electric fleet.
EDIT: Also, the Mr. Fusion is only for the time circuit. Doesn't the car still run on the ICE?
No the flying conversion looks like it's antigrav so would have to run on Mr. Fusion too.
 
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If you want to give your money away to oppressive regimes in the middle east in the future as well I'm sure they accept Paypal.

Why don't they ban ocean liners instead? They kinda use a bit more oil then a car and is a luxury item, not a necessity.
Oh but they transport far more people than a car does, which means their fuel consumtion per guest (using an example from Cunard, excluding all the staff) is around 16,9 l/100km. The new Triple-E-class ships builty by Hyundai for Maersk will do 184km on 1kWh/ton of cargo. A plane would only go 500 meters.

http://www.worldslargestship.com
 
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