European drivers face rising costs and proposed speed limits

New proposals and upcoming regulations are set to increase costs and restrictions for owners of internal combustion engine vehicles in Europe.

Austrian economist Gunther Fehlinger-Jahn has proposed that the European Union implement a uniform speed limit of 100 km/h for all petrol and diesel vehicles. Under this non-official proposal, electric vehicles would be exempt and permitted to maintain current national speed limits. The proposal aims to reduce fuel consumption by 20 to 30 percent, lower CO2 emissions, and improve road safety. Similar environmental speed limits already exist in parts of Austria, where electric and hydrogen vehicles are exempt from lower limits applied to fossil fuel cars.

In Denmark, vehicle owners face rising costs due to tax adjustments and EU policy. Starting in 2027, a nine percent increase in the equalization tax for diesel vehicles is expected as temporary discounts expire. Furthermore, the implementation of an EU CO2 quota system in 2028 is projected to increase general fuel prices. The Danish motorists' organization FDM estimates that a petrol car driver covering 20,000 kilometers annually could face an additional yearly cost of 1,463 DKK due to the new system.