The European Union is pushing hard to clean up the air. They have a big goal: stop selling new cars that run on gasoline or diesel by 2035. But now, it seems they might try to hit the gas on this plan, especially for certain parts of the car market. Whispers suggest that a ban on these older types of engines could arrive even sooner for some major players.
It’s all about how cars are bought and sold in big groups. A report from the German newspaper Bild, which quoted unnamed sources inside the European Commission, says things are about to shift. Car rental companies, for example, might be told they cannot buy new internal combustion engine cars starting as early as 2030. If this new rule takes hold, big names like Europcar and Sixt would have to fill their fleets only with electric vehicles.
This change would hit the rental car business fast. Rental cars usually get replaced every one or two years. So, the plan expects most rental fleets to be electric by 2032. Right now, some rental companies offer electric cars, but they are not very popular. People often find them too expensive to rent.
The proposed rule might not stop with just rental companies. Officials are also looking at including large business fleets. Think about it: about 20% of all new cars sold in Europe go to rental companies. An even bigger slice, 60% of total new car sales, go to these other fleet customers. If these new rules go through, the full impact of the combustion engine ban could come years before 2035.
Targeting Rental and Business Fleets
Stopping sales of these cars to fleets would quickly shrink the market for them. This would also directly affect the used car market. Why? Because fleet sales are the biggest way for cars to regularly enter the used market. If these new rules happen, finding used internal combustion engine vehicles could get much harder after 2030.
Car makers would feel the heat too. If fleet orders for gasoline or diesel cars dry up, it might not make sense to keep building some of those models. This could mean some car companies stop making certain models even before the 2035 deadline.
The European Commission has confirmed it is working on new rules for car sales. But they haven’t made any official decision yet about limiting fleet sales by 2030. Still, many people in the industry say the European Union is serious about these steps. They want to speed up the shift to electric vehicles.