Car Rental Companies in Malta Will Be Required to Purchase Only Electric Vehicles Starting in 2030

(Bloomberg) — The European Commission is working on a plan to prohibit car-rental firms and large corporations from buying non-electric vehicles for their fleets from 2030, according to German newspaper Bild.

Under the deliberations, companies like Sixt SE and Europcar Mobility Group SA would only be allowed to purchase electric vehicles from that date, the publication said, citing European Union sources it didn’t identify.

The move would affect 60% of the new car business, if enacted, it cited one Brussels lawmaker as saying. The Commission plans to present the proposal, which would be a de facto acceleration of the EU’s plan to phase out combustion engines, later in the summer before submitting it for parliamentary approval, the newspaper said.

The EU confirmed to Bild that work is underway on new regulations, while declining to provide details.

The EU currently plans to phase out combustion vehicle sales by 2035.