Brussels to Ban Sales of New Diesel Cars by 2030

BRUSSELS—The regional Brussels government recently announced a new prohibition on sales of new fossil-fuel powered vehicles in the region, Quartz reports. New sales of diesel cars will be banned in 2030, followed by new gasoline car sales in 2035. The move is part of an effort to lower pollution, as well align with the EU goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The “Low Emissions Mobility Brussels” plan will also encourage public transportation usage and build infrastructure for electric vehicles, with a goal of 22,000 charging stations by 2035. Earlier this year, Belgium, along with eight other countries, asked the European Commission to set a date for an EU ban on fossil-fuel burning vehicles.

For the past three years, Brussels has been establishing low-emissions zones across the region’s 19 municipalities, gradually tightening the restrictions on which vehicles can operate within those boundaries. Drivers of cars not meeting certain EU emissions standards can’t drive in those areas without facing fines. Those standards will become more stringent on a rolling basis in order to phase out older vehicles. Currently, more than 250 EU cities have similar low-emission zones to control air quality and carbon emissions.

Meanwhile, in the United States, President Joe Biden has made EV policy and emissions regulations a top priority of his administration. In addition, GM announced a phase-out of gas-powered vehicles by 2035, while Toyota unveiled its own agenda to reduce carbon emissions. In May, a Dutch court ordered Royal Dutch Shell to reduce its carbon emissions by 45% by 2030.

To read more about the ever-growing demand for EVs and charging solutions, check out the 2021 summer edition of Fuels Market News Magazine.

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