Brit in Germany: Why Young Europeans Are Moving Away from Cars

May 17, 2026 | Driving used to be a given. Now, for a growing number of young people in Europe, it’s starting to feel unnecessary and maybe even irrational.

Rising costs are part of the story. But so are deeper changes — in how cities are built, what’s being prioritised, and what everyday life is starting to look like.

This video breaks down what’s really changing and what that means going forward. I write more about what these shifts mean on an individual level. …

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This year's Detroit auto show, one of the most important annual auto industry events, features a comeback from a rare source: Detroit. The North American car of the year is actually North American. Cadillac won the award for its ATS, the company's first win in the award's 20-year history. On it's 60th anniversary, Chevrolet also unveiled a new model of its classic Corvette, the Stingray. Al Jazeera's John Hendren reports from Detroit.

EU to Ban Cars from Cities by 2050
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Cars will be banned from London and all other cities across Europe under a draconian EU masterplan to cut CO2 emissions by 60 per cent over the next 40 years.

The European Commission on Monday unveiled a "single European transport area" aimed at enforcing "a profound shift in transport patterns for passengers" by 2050.

The plan also envisages an end to cheap holiday flights from Britain to southern Europe with a target that over 50 per cent of all journeys above 186 miles should be by rail.

Top of the EU's list to cut climate change emissions is a target of "zero" for the number of petrol and diesel-driven cars and lorries in the EU's future cities.

Siim Kallas, the EU transport commission, insisted that Brussels directives and new taxation of fuel would be used to force people out of their cars and onto "alternative" means of transport.

"That means no more conventionally fuelled cars in our city centres," he said. "Action will follow, legislation, real action to change behaviour." » | Bruno Waterfield, Brussels | Monday, March 28, 2011

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Brussels Plans Crackdown on Car Advertising
SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL: The European Union bureaucracy is on a roll: After imposing restrictions on how tobacco, alcohol and food products can be advertised, it has set its sights on gas-guzzling cars. But German manufacturers and media conglomerates warn the financial impact could be devastating.

Only a select few VIPs are allowed to park on the paved lot directly next to the entrance to the enormous Berlaymont building in Brussels, the headquarters of the European Commission. The luxury sedans lined up in the parking lot include Audis, BMWs, Jaguars and Mercedes. The chauffeurs keep the engines running in the winter to stay warm, and in the summer to keep their energy-consuming air-conditioning systems going.

The contents of the Berlaymont's parking lot are especially impressive on Wednesdays, when European Commission President José Manuel Barroso and the 26 European Union commissioners gather around the conference table on the 14th floor. They often discuss climate protection, and what ought to be done to promote it.

To buck the trend, Commissioner for the Environment Stavros Dimas has chosen a Japanese hybrid (more...) known for its low emissions as his official vehicle. His position apparently makes this practically a requirement, but he's the exception rather than the rule. His fellow commissioners see no reason to revise their automotive preferences. "We commissioners travel a lot," says one of them, "and we need large, comfortable and fast cars."

Though clearly a topic that they have no serious interest in pursuing when it comes to their own luxury sedans, the commissioners are poised to tackle the issue in a way that will affect everyone else in Europe. Europe's lawmakers want to restrict and regulate automobile advertising. Their hope is that most drivers will lose interest in large cars and finally turn to more frugal models. Brussels Plans Crackdown on Car Advertising >>> By Hans-Jürgen Schlamp in Brussels | May 15, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback - UK)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardback - UK)