New petrol and diesel rules for drivers are 'grave' and will cause 'crisis'
New petrol and diesel rules for drivers are "grave" as motorists and road users face a crisis. Some industry experts have criticised the current plans for 2035, which will see the European Union ban the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles.
Italy's industry minister has slammed the move. Adolfo Urso, a member of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy party, claims the ban has already created a "grave crisis" for European car manufacturers across the continent.
Speaking to the Financial Times, he said: "The data speaks for itself. It's already clear the road map...is not sustainable." He added: "Everyone is aware that if we don't move in a hurry, within a few months, that in Brussels, Strasbourg and other European capitals, we'll find not only farmers with their tractors, but also workers."
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"We believe it's absolutely necessary to modify the direction of EU industrial policy," Urso said. A UK government spokesperson said: "We’re committed to delivering greener transport by supporting the transition to electric vehicles.
“We will provide certainty to manufacturers by restoring the 2030 phase-out date for new petrol and diesel cars, and are committed to accelerating the rollout of electric vehicle charging infrastructure. We will set out further details due course.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Wednesday the European Union's 2035 target to end the sale of carbon-dioxide (CO2) emitting cars shows a "self-destructive" position on industrial and environmental issues.
"The ban on endothermic engine (cars) from 2035 is one of the most obvious examples of a self-destructive approach," Meloni told an event in Rome. "Accompanying the industrial sector in the challenge of ecological transition cannot mean dismantling entire sectors," she said.
Meloni and her allies have always opposed the ban on internal combustion engines, but at the time of the EU decision, her government abstained on it along with Bulgaria and Romania, while Poland was the only country to vote against.