EU lawmakers backed more ambtious 40 percent CO2 cut for cars, vans by 2030

A car exhaust is pictured in a street's traffic in Munich, December 21, 2007. REUTERS/Alexandra Beier

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - EU lawmakers backed a more ambitious target of a 40 percent cut in carbon dioxide emissions for cars and vans by 2030 in a vote on Wednesday.

It also voted for a 20 percent CO2 reduction by 2025 and set hard targets on zero and low emission vehicle sales' benchmarks.

(Reporting by Alissa de Carbonnel; Editing by Gabriela Baczynska)