Urgent Proposal: Will Europe Ease its Policy of Banning Gasoline-Powered Cars and Reversal Tokyo's "2035 Gasoline-Engine Motorcycle Sales Ban"?

The European Union (EU) is reviewing its policy of banning the sale of new gasoline and other fuel engine vehicles in 2035. This means that a certain number of gasoline-powered and hybrid vehicles will be allowed to be sold. The extreme shift to EVs will be eased, and the impact on motorcycles is likely to be significant. Tokyo plans to ban the sale of new gasoline-engine motorcycles by 2035, but a reversal is inevitable here too!

Reviewing 100% electrification, CO2 emissions are changed to 90% less than in 2021.

In 2021, the EU announced a regulation to reduce the amount of CO2 (carbon dioxide) emitted by new cars sold to zero by 2035. In effect, only fully electric battery EVs that do not emit CO2 could be sold, and the policy was to prohibit the sale of new gasoline-engine and hybrid vehicles. However, on December 16, 2025, this policy was revised to allow sales of gasoline, hybrid, and hydrogen engine vehicles to continue, with CO2 emissions to be reduced by 90% from the 2021 level. The European regulation covered passenger cars and heavy-duty vehicles, and did not apply to motorcycles. Nevertheless, the revision of the policy is good news, as there was a possibility that "full electric power will be mandatory for motorcycles next" as a follow-up. It should also have a significant impact on the medium- to long-term development policies of motorcycle manufacturers. Incidentally, the "10% reduction compared to 2021" is a strict figure: the CO2 emission limit for passenger cars in 2021 is 95 g/km, so manufacturers will be allowed to emit up to an average of 9.5 g/km. These emissions must be compensated for by the use of low-carbon steel from the EU or biofuels. Nevertheless, it is very possible that the goal of EVs will be further postponed and the percentage and limits will be revised in the future.

EU release reviewing electrification policy. At the same time, it announced €1.8 billion ($331.5 billion) and other assistance to produce batteries in Europe.

Hydrogen engines emit almost no CO2, but they do emit nitrogen oxides (NOX). In addition, since a very small amount of CO2 is emitted when the engine oil is burned, they are not strictly considered "zero-emission" and were included in the sales ban in Europe in principle. However, a review of the policy has made it possible to sell them. Photo shows Kawasaki's hydrogen engine (prototype).

EV sales are slower than expected in Europe, and preferential treatment for EVs is being withdrawn in the U.S.

The policy review is due to the impact of the slower-than-expected spread of EVs in the European market, where their share of new car sales is only about 16%. The European Automobile Manufacturers Association, Germany, Italy, and other countries have voiced opposition to the EV shift, and Germany's Mercedes-Benz Group and Sweden's Volvo have withdrawn their policy of complete EV conversion. Many major manufacturers in Europe are considering modifying their policies. In addition, there are various factors such as the rapid progress of Chinese-made EVs. These developments are similar in the U.S., where President Trump is withdrawing the existing EV preferential policy. In California, a regulation was planned to make 100% of new car sales zero-emission vehicles by 2035, but President Trump signed a joint resolution nullifying the regulation. The state now intends to withdraw the regulation. To begin with, even if EVs do not emit CO2 when driving, they are by no means eco-friendly when considering their entire life cycle, including the time of manufacture, generation of electricity to charge the battery, and disposal. As the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) argues, there should be a variety of options, including gasoline and hybrid vehicles, instead of focusing solely on EVs.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has banned the sale of gasoline-powered motorcycles after 2035!

In this context, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is concerned: In December 2020, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike announced her policy on sales of new gasoline-powered vehicles in Tokyo, stating that she aims to reduce sales of passenger cars to zero by 2030 and motorcycles to zero by 2035. As noted above, Europe does not regulate motorcycles, and the Japanese government has also stated that it aims to ban the sale of internal combustion engine vehicles powered by gasoline or diesel by the mid-2030s, but excludes motorcycles. Unlike the rest of the world, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is the only one that has made a radical move to promote the full electrification of its citizens, including motorcycles. It is unclear if the ban will apply to commercial vehicles and trucks. No penalties are currently in place for the sale of gasoline-powered vehicles, although the details have not yet been finalized.

Currently, there are only a few electric motorcycles from major manufacturers, but most are scooter types. Honda's EM1 e: (pictured), Yamaha's JOG E, and E-Vino are among those on the market.

As for hybrids, Kawasaki's Ninja 7 Hybrid is currently the only new vehicle available. Prices start at 1,848,000 yen.

Only 12% of electric bikes are sold in Tokyo; what is the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's comment?

On May 9, 2025, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government once again summarized the "Zero Emission Tokyo Strategy Beyond Carbon Half" index. According to this, non-gasoline vehicles account for 63% of new vehicle sales in Tokyo, while motorcycles account for only 12% (FY2023 results) The target for electrification of motorcycles in FY2030 is "35%" and the goal is to reach "100%" by FY2035. There are only four years remaining until 2030 and nine years until 2035. Frankly speaking, it is difficult to achieve. Is the Tokyo Metropolitan Government considering revising its plans in response to the European policy of withdrawing full electrification?　We asked the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Bureau of Environment for comment, but as of this writing (as of December 25, 2025), they have yet to respond.

From the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's "Zero Emission Tokyo Strategy Beyond Carbon Half," which lists the goals to be achieved by 2035: to achieve 100% non-gasoline vehicles as a percentage of new motorcycle sales.

Motorcycles and cars cannot be equated with EVs; Tokyo to review policy

The reason why the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is promoting the conversion of motorcycles to EVs in the same way as cars is probably because it does not have a grasp of the actual situation of motorcycles. Compared to cars, motorcycles have less space for mounting and the size of the battery that can be loaded is limited. Therefore, current technology cannot provide the same cruising range as a car. In addition, since the increase in weight directly affects driving performance, the current large and heavy batteries have a negative impact on acceleration performance and cornering. Incidentally, if motorcycles were to be converted to HV, they would not be as effective, but would be more expensive, making them less useful for the average person. Already discontinued in October 2022, Honda's PCX Hybrid's fuel efficiency is 51.9km/L (WMTC mode value), only 1.2km/L more than the engine model. The price difference was 448,800 yen, 41,000 yen higher than the gasoline engine PCX160 at the time. As with cars, there is also the problem of charging stations. There is an initiative called "Gachaco," a common battery sharing service for motorcycles in which the entire battery is exchanged, but this service is not yet widespread. Although electric bikes are expensive, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government provides generous subsidies (up to 480,000 yen) to help promote their use. However, one must not forget that the subsidies are paid for with Tokyo residents' blood taxes. These are some of the reasons why electric models of motorcycles are not as popular as four-wheeled ones. Business bikes and short-distance commuters aside, it will be difficult to popularize sporty motorcycles without breakthroughs in battery technology, infrastructure, and price. We will keep a close eye on the global trend toward electrification, and in particular, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

Honda's fully electric motorcycle, the WN7, is scheduled for release in Japan. It was first introduced as a motorcycle for the Metropolitan Police Department and will appear as the lead vehicle in the Hakone Ekiden.

Tokyo Governor Koike (right) at the "First Domestic EV Motorcycle White Motorcycle Unveiling Ceremony" where the WN7 was unveiled. The introduction of the electric motorcycle is also aimed at promoting the zero-emission nature of motorcycles. Governor Koike is a former rider and should have a good understanding of motorcycles. We hope he will learn more about the latest electric bikes!