After months of negotiations, the European Union reached a political agreement this week to effectively ban new nonelectric cars from 2035 onward.The world is changing, and we must remain at the forefront of innovation,” Jozef Sikela — the minister of industry and trade in the Czech Republic, which holds the rotating council presidency — said in a statement.The legislation still needs to be approved formally to become law in the E.U., one of the largest automobile markets and home to some of the biggest manufacturers.“It’s 125 years since Rudolf Diesel revolutionized engine efficiency, but lawmakers have decided the next chapter will be written by the cleaner, better electric vehicle.”Even so, Poliscanova and some other experts worried that the measures, while a step toward sustainable transportation, were still too slow.“Make no mistake, the European automobile industry is up to the challenge of providing these zero-emission cars and vans,” said Zipse, who is also chief executive of German automotive giant BMW."