EU member states agreed last year to a directive banning the sale of new gas- and diesel-powered cars starting in 2035. Though even the sale of the more popular hybrid cars with combustion engines will be banned, there’s a loophole that allows for the sale of cars that run on synthetic fuels made of hydrogen, also known as e-fuels. These kinds of cars use the same combustion engines as those that run on gasoline and diesel.
Opponents of the ban have presaged that Europe is being condemned to an automotive future like that of poor countries such as Cuba where older cars are simply kept on the road for decades as new ones are either not available or not affordable. The goal of the directive is that it will result in a complete change in the bloc’s driving fleet by 2050.
But now, the EU seems to be slyly nodding to drivers of combustion engines. Seemingly without anyone noticing, as it received little media attention, the EU parliament approved the Spare Parts Directive at the end of April. The rule should make it easier and cheaper to repair appliances, electronics, and even cars—including gas- and diesel-run cars.
It obliges auto manufacturers to offer spare parts for longer and to sell spare parts to third parties for car repairs. This also applies to exclusive tools or software that manufacturers make available only at their dealerships. In theory, this means that any mechanic should be able to do the work that is currently often available only through dealerships. This is significant, for example, regarding the increasing number of car parts that are controlled electronically through software. Currently, car manufacturers do not have to share their software or software codes, forcing car owners to return to their network of approved car mechanics to update navigation systems or do repairs related to electronics. The difficulty of repairs on these parts has been a complaint of consumers for years, leading to the ‘right to repair’ movement.
Indeed, Brussels has embraced the right to repair as part of its Green Deal and the circular economy on the grounds that reusing and repairing older items pumps less CO2 into the air than producing new items. From the consumer point of view, it is currently often cheaper and easier to trash an appliance—or even a car—and buy a new one rather than do a repair. This regulation is aimed at changing that.
If it works, it will help keep not only washing machines going longer but also gas and diesel cars.
Either anti-car MEPs had not read the directive in detail or didn’t have the courage to exclude cars from the directive.
