According to some disturbing recent reports on Autoblog, the EU will announce plans in the European Union’s Roadmap on Transport next week to ban all fossil fuel-powered cars in Europe by 2050. They will start with a goal of reducing fossil fuel vehicle numbers by 50% by the year 2030, and plan to accomplish this by using more hybrid and electric vehicle technology. They’ll also stress a move away from personal transportation and instead focus on public mass transit. According to the Roadmap on Transport, the goal for this radical shift is to reduce traffic-related C02 emissions by 60 percent in 2050.
Stephen Odell, chairman and CEO, Ford of Europe, has already released a statement on the paper stating, “the Commission’s position paper while well intentioned would not achieve its goals of improving transportation policy. 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.” He went on to say, “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.”
Ford does not believe that the proposals outlined in the paper will truly address the issues of congestion in urban areas, nor will it actually improve the environmental concerns. While we can’t speak to that part of the plan, we’re against any option that removes the choice of personal vehicle ownership from anyway. Yikes, indeed.