By Moses Akaigwe
The European Parliament has officially approved the proposal to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in the European Union from 2035. By that time, new cars may only be admitted on the road with a zero-emission drive train.
But what does this mean for MG Motor? Nothing! The British automotive marquee, now Chinese state-owned, has stated its readiness to beat the deadline even ahead of the European plans.
The European Union (EU) aims to be climate neutral by 2050. As part of this target, the plan was presented in 2021 with an interim CO2 reduction target of at least 55 per cent by 2030, compared to 1990 levels.
With approximately 250 million cars on the road in Europe, the automotive industry plays an important role in reducing CO2 emissions. That is why the European Parliament has now also decided to ban the sale of new passenger cars with an internal combustion engine (ICE) from 2035. A very interesting and promising ambition that will have a huge impact on the industry.
MG proves it’s possible
In the run-up to the voting round, extensive lobbies have been held to postpone the ban on new passenger cars with an ICE. Critics argue that zero-emission vehicles are still far too expensive to implement these plans across the EU.
Practical EVs with enough space for the family, advanced technology and safety, comfort and a reassuring range won’t be affordable for the general public in Europe.
But in reality, that’s not the case. Since the launch of the MG ZS EV in October 2019, the brand has proven that electric driving can indeed be affordable. MG’s first vehicle in mainland Europe made an indelible impression as the first truly affordable all-electric SUV in the B-segment. Revived by its Chinese parent company, the iconic British car brand entered the highly competitive car market with the clear goal of disrupting the European EV market with attractive, safe and high-quality EVs that meet all the needs of modern families and businesses. And above all, at a fair price.
First affordable EV brand
Following the launch of the popular MG ZS EV, the versatile EHS Plug-in Hybrid, the advanced and luxurious MG Marvel R Electric and the practical MG5 Electric – the world’s first all-electric estate car – MG has built a solid reputation as the first affordable electric car brand in Europe.
Just three years after the start of sales in mainland Europe, more than 530 MG sales and service locations are already operational in sixteen countries. HYPERLINK “https://news.mgmotor.eu/press/mg-motor-europe-triples-sales-in-2021/” \t “_blank”Sales tripled in 2021, while MG recently HYPERLINK “https://news.mgmotor.eu/mg-reaches-new-milestone-with-1-million-overseas-sales/” \t “_blank”reached a new milestone with 1 million cars sold overseas since 2007. The success of the brand is partly due to the fact that MG presents itself as the smart choice in terms of price, equipment and technology, without compromising on quality and safety. In addition, MG is more visible, and the brand awareness continues to increase.
MG4 Electric sets new standards
And we’re just getting started. There’s a lot more to come! This autumn already, when the all-new MG4 Electric makes its European debut. This newcomer with leading technology, an appealing design and a huge level of driving fun is MG’s first five-door hatchback for the European C-segment. The MG4 Electric is the first of an entirely new generation of electric cars based on the all-new MSP (Modular Scalable Platform), developed by MG’s parent company SAIC Motor.
With the MG4 Electric that is expected to arrive at the MG dealers in the fourth quarter of this year, MG will prove once again that electric driving can indeed be affordable. Ban on new cars with an ICE? We are ready and even ahead of the European plans.
MG is ready for the future
Besides, you will see the production costs (per kWh) of EV batteries continue to fall in the coming years. HYPERLINK “https://news.mgmotor.eu/bevs-are-cheaper-than-petrol-cars-from-2027/” \t “_blank”According to BloombergNEF, costs will come down by more than 50% in 2030 compared to 2020. This also means electric cars will be cheaper to produce than ICE cars by then. Furthermore, the ‘Fit for 55’ plan lays down the financing and construction of at least 3.5 million additional charging points until 2030. The accelerated expansion of the European charging infrastructure is absolutely necessary for a smooth and accelerated transition from fossil to electric.
Whatever the future will bring us, we at MG are ready for it. We have only just started, but we have come a long way. We keep focussing on electric cars and related technology and are committed to making electric mobility even more accessible to European motorists in the near future.