Tuesday 29th March 2011

Petrol And Diesel Cars Banned By 2050?

EU report suggests city centres should be off-limits to the internal combustion engine by 2050.

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The European Commission has made the radical recommendation that conventional petrol- and diesel-engined cars should be banned from European urban centres by 2050.

The proposals are part of the EU's effort to cut its CO2 emissions and reduce its dependence on oil, and also include a target of 50 per cent of Europe's vehicles to be zero-emission by 2030.

EC transport commissioner Siim Kallas, who revealed the plan to EU governments today (Monday 28th March), said that the plan would not curtail the free movement of people. "Curbing mobility is not an option," he said, "neither is business as usual. We can break the transport system's dependence on oil without sacrificing its efficiency and compromising mobility. It can be win-win,".

Despite these claims, however, part of the plan would involve the majority of journeys over 190 miles long being taken by train.

Fortunately for fans of sanity, the UK government has effectively told the European Commission to keep out of it, saying that the EU should not get involved in the transport policies of individual cities.

"We will not be banning cars from city centres anymore than we will be having rectangular bananas," said UK Transport Minister Norman Baker.

You can download the full European Transport Plan from the European Commission's website. If you fancy a laugh.

^{Image: Ruben de Rijcke}

[soad]

That damned EU...who said future is bright eh?

[Mr Whippy]

In 40 years, an ICE engine might be hydrogen based, generating water?

So why off-limits to cities if the only exhaust is water?

Best ban people from city centres, with their water vapour, methane and CO2 emissions... oh.

[sidaorb]

Thank god I'll be dead by then!

[vetteheadracer]

Great idea lets all switch to electric Japanese made cars.........perhaps we can all run them using our Nuclear generated electricity.........or then again perhaps not.

I assume that all lorries, buses and trains will also need to be non-diesel by then too as well.

If all of the EU government stopped breathing for about an hour that would also solve the CO2 emmissions problems......

[Luca Brasi]

Treehugging idiots!

[Mad Jock]

Once again some blowhard politician is putting the cart before the horse. No commitment to funding the massive increase in public transport that has to be in place before making such "suggestions".
These sort of ideas usually come from flatlander types, who never consider the needs of cities that are built on hills, and who also have a government supplied car and driver to get them about. I have no doubt that the EU commissioners (aka Politburo) will make themselves exempt from this ruling, much in the same way that they are exempt from the tax free sales restrictions that the rest of us EU plebs have to suffer.
The day that I see all of the EU Commissioners cycling to work is the day that I might just, maybe, go along with their suggestions, but until that day dawns, they can whistle for it.
To say that they don't want to restrict the free movement of people is so much hot air. If I have to wait one minute for a bus or a train, then my freedom of movement has been restricted.
When these unelected "First among equals" spongers start to live as they preach, I shall be skating in hell.

[Riggers]

Mr Whippy said:

In 40 years, an ICE engine might be hydrogen based, generating water?

So why off-limits to cities if the only exhaust is water?

Best ban people from city centres, with their water vapour, methane and CO2 emissions... oh.

Okay, okay, ICE made an easy headline. I'm sure that sort of thing would be fine - it's just 'conventionally fuelled' cars that'll be an issue...

[Stew2000]

Is Ethanol classed as petrol?

[Papa Hotel]

39 years fom now, I'll be dead. Not bothered.

[Police State]

soad said:

That damned EU...who said future is bright eh?

Speak to Ozzy Osmond; he's quite a fan of the EU...

[W00DY]

Why won't we be having rectangular bananas?!

[NismoGT]

fking communist bds!

[DeltaEvo2]

Nothing to do with communism...just a bunch of idiots thinking that they know better

[annodomini2]

Stew2000 said:

Is Ethanol classed as petrol?

It's a hydro-carbon

[annodomini2]

Mr Whippy said:

In 40 years, an ICE engine might be hydrogen based, generating water?

So why off-limits to cities if the only exhaust is water?

Best ban people from city centres, with their water vapour, methane and CO2 emissions... oh.

Hydrogen would also generate water vapour.

And you probably think battery range is bad.

[petrolveins]

Papa Hotel said:

39 years fom now, I'll be dead. Not bothered.

Alright for some, I'll be at an age I want to hoon around in TVRs and other suitably large engined cars

[paranoid airbag]

annodomini2 said:

It's a hydro-carbon

actually a carbohydrate - in answer to the original question, I can't see why it would be, as it isn't

[deltaevo16]

I think we need to re think our commitment to Europe, as they are all barking the lot of them.
Seriously though this bunch of feckwits have done more harm than good to our nation. We should have a vote on remaning in it.

[TomTVR500]

On the one hand i want to kick off and rant endlessly but i accept that something probably does need to be done about oil and the environment etc (i am not saying i am convinced by the whole eco argument but there are some sensible points in their extremist rantings)i also realise that we are never going to stop getting hammered for our hobby as long as it continues, so if they make public transport a pleasant, cost effective, reliable and efficient mode of transport for city centres and it means i can have my toy anywhere but city centres without being moaned at then i guess i could live with it.

However i will say the EU is st.

[annodomini2]

paranoid airbag said:

actually a carbohydrate - in answer to the original question, I can't see why it would be, as it isn't

Stand corrected