The European Parliament on Tuesday approved banning the sale of carbon-emitting
petrol and diesel cars by 2035, removing the last legislative hurdles.
European Union countries approved the legislation and will now formally turn it into law, despite the opposition of Conservative MPs, who represent the largest bloc in parliament.
Supporters of the decision had defended it by saying it would give European automakers a clear timetable for moving to
zero-emissions electric cars.
This, in turn, will support the EU's ambitious plan to achieve "climate neutrality" in the economy by 2050 with net zero greenhouse emissions.
"Let me remind you that between last year and the end of this year, China will put 80 models of electric cars on the global market," warned the association's vice president, Frans Timmermans.
"They are good cars. They are cars that are going to be more and more affordable. We don't want to give away this core industry to outsiders," he added.
But opponents of the decision said the sector was not ready for such a drastic break in the
production of cars with internal combustion engines, and that hundreds of thousands of jobs are at risk.
"Our proposal is ... to allow the market to decide which technology is best for achieving our goals," said MEP Jens Czeske, of the (centre-right) European People's Party.
He added that the arguments of the Greens and Socialists deputies that acquiring electric cars are less expensive have become "null and void" in light of the crisis of high energy costs.
"In Germany, 600,000 people work on internal combustion engine (ICE) cars, these jobs are at risk," he said, urging the European Commission to rethink plans to extend the ban to trucks and buses.
Opponents also say that car batteries are produced abroad by European competitors such as the United States, but Timmermans argues that thanks to EU-backed investment, European production will increase.
The European Parliament in Strasbourg passed the law with 340 support, 279 against, and 21 abstentions.