Yahoo Autos France Wants to Ban the Sale of Gas Cars by 2040
There is no doubt that the internal-combustion car has an expiration date. No one is certain when that day will come, but it's increasingly clear that it could happen in our lifetimes. In case you needed more proof, the French government announced today that it's taking steps towards banning the sale of new gas- and diesel-powered cars by 2040.
The AFP reports that this announcement came as part of a new environmental plan presented Thursday by France's new environmental minister Nicolas Hulot. This new plan reflects French President Emmanuel Macron's desire for his country to be a leader in combatting climate change, and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
Hulot said that the end of gas- and diesel-powered car sales in France would be a "veritable revolution" and that ending their sale is a matter of "public health." Additionally, he believes that French automakers like Peugeot-Citroen and Renault are capable of making the transition to EV sales exclusively.
This new environmental plan notes that the transportation sector is the largest producer of greenhouse gasses in the country, but that rise of electric cars will help combat this. In a speech today, Hulot said the goal of eliminating gas and diesel cars by 2040 is ambitious, but he believes it's doable, since Norway and India aim to do the same in 2025 and 2030, respectively.
Le Monde reports that Hulot is promising financial incentives for French households to replace their pre-1997 gas-powered cars and pre-2001 diesel-powered cars with newer, more efficient models. As of right now, those financial incentives are yet to be determined.
As CityLab notes, while France isn't the first country to move towards banning gas- and diesel-powered car sales, it's easily the most significant. That's a result of its population of 66 million people, and the fact that it has a robust automotive-producing industry.
Still, 2040 is a long way off, and with a deluge of electric cars set to hit the market in the coming years, Macron and Hulot's goal might be achievable.
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