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Countries intending to phase out combustion-engine vehicles – Editor

Articles by Hashem Al-Ghaili [1] and Dom Galeon [2] discuss an option for combining overall reduction in green- house gas emissions with improvement of pollution levels in streets and roads (thereby improving the health of the population). This option is a promotion of the sale of all-electric motor vehicles and/or a compulsory phasing out of the sale of motor vehicles that use carbon- based-fuel combustion engines.

In the past couple of years, the clean energy revolution has steadily been gaining ground. Aside from transitioning to cleaner, renewable energy sources, a number of countries also intend to keep their roads free from pollution by removing combustion engine vehicles. With the transportation sector contribut- ing around 15% of man-made green- house gas emissions worldwide (27% for the U.S.), this is a noteworthy step.

The following list of seven nations have been listed in these articles according to the time they made their decision to remove combustion-engine vehicles:

  1. Germany was the first country to implement a ban on petrol and diesel cars. In Oct 2016 the federal council (the Bundesrat) proposed and passed a resolution that calls for a total ban on internal combustion engines by 2030. The decision is significant because Germany has the fourth largest car manufacturing industry in the world.
  2. Norway in February 2017 decided to follow and outdo the German example. It set a target that is five years earlier than Germany’s. By 2025, Norway will only sell cars that are 100% electric. “By 2030, heavy-duty vans, 75% of new long-distance buses, and 50% of new trucks must be zero emission vehicles” according to the Norwegian Public Roads Administration.

  3. India has instituted a policy similar to Norway’s, to allow only the sale of all- electric cars by 2030. The effort is to be financed by the government.

  4. France will implement a ban on all petrol and diesel vehicles effective by 2040. The process will take place step- wise, to include having “a fleet of 2.4 million rechargeable electric and hybrid vehicles, as well as a 3% of NGV heavy duty vehicles” by 2023, according to France’s Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy.

  5. United Kingdom will introduce a ban on new diesel and petrol fuel cars by 2040, as part of a 3 billion initiative that trickles down to local councils to improve the nation’s air quality.

  6. Netherlands has been considering the removal from roads and streets of petrol and diesel engines since April 2016, but have yet to formalise these plans.

  7. China – the most heavily-polluted country, has revealed similar plans.

Sources

  1. https://sciencr.com/7-countries-are-banning-fossil-fuel-based-cars/

  2. https://futurism.com/these-7-countries-want-to-say-goodbye-to-fossil-fuel-based-cars/

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