Britain to Ban Sale of Gas, Diesel Cars by 2040

Following in the footsteps of France, Britain will ban the sale of gas and diesel cars from 2040 in an effort to reduce air pollution.

The British government is following up on promises made earlier this year to get rid of the most polluting vehicles. “Today we are confirming that that means there should be no new diesel or petrol vehicles by 2040,” environmental minister Michael Gove told BBC Radio, reports Reuters.

The ban also includes hybrids, meaning that all cars will have to be purely electric within a quarter of a century, reports the Financial Times. Currently, electric cars make up less than 5 percent of new car registrations in Britain.

Earlier this month, it was reported that France will ban the sale of gas and diesel cars by 2040. Norway, Germany, and India have also targeted the end of gas and diesel sales in one way or another. Meanwhile, officials in Athens, Madrid, Mexico City, and Paris want to ban diesel vehicles from city centers by as early as 2025.

The plan aligns with goals set forth under the Paris climate accord. Under the agreement, many nations pledged to keep global temperature increases this century below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Automakers are starting to hop on the electric bandwagon, too. Recently, Volvo said that all of its new vehicles from 2019 will have an electric motor.

Source: Reuters, The Financial Times

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