EU may require car-rental companies to buy only electric vehicles by 2030

The European Commission is drafting legislation that would require major corporations and car rental companies to switch exclusively to electric vehicles for their fleet purchases starting in 2030, German newspaper Bild reported on Sunday.

Citing unnamed EU sources, the report said that firms such as Sixt and Europcar Mobility Group would be restricted to buying only electric cars under the proposed rules. If implemented, the policy could impact as much as 60% of the market for new vehicle sales, one lawmaker in Brussels was quoted as saying.

This initiative would effectively fast-track the European Union’s broader plan to eliminate sales of combustion-engine vehicles by 2035. The Commission intends to unveil the proposal later this summer before it is put forward for parliamentary debate and approval, according to the report.