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July 27, 2017

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Britain set to prohibit new petrol and diesel car sales

Source: Agencies | 00:01 UTC+8 July 27, 2017 | Print Edition

BRITAIN will ban the sales of new petrol and diesel cars from 2040 in an attempt to reduce air pollution that could herald the end of over a century of popular use of the fossil fuel-guzzling internal combustion engine.

Britain’s step, which follows France, amounts to a victory for electric cars that could eventually transform the wealth of major oil producers, car industry employment and one of the icons of 20th Century capitalism: the automobile itself.

The mayors of Paris, Madrid, Mexico City and Athens have said they plan to ban diesel vehicles from city centers by 2025, while the French government also aims to end the sale of new gasoline and diesel vehicles by 2040.

The British government has been under pressure to take steps to reduce air pollution after losing legal cases brought by campaign groups, and in May set out proposals for a scrappage scheme 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,” environment minister Michael Gove told BBC Radio.

Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservatives had pledged to make “almost every car and van” zero-emission by 2050. The Times newspaper said the supply of hybrid vehicles which have both an electric and petrol or diesel engine would also end.

There is a mountain to climb, however.

Electric cars currently account for under 5 percent of new car registrations in Britain, with drivers concerned about the cost and limited availability of charging points and manufacturers worried about making expensive investments before the demand is there.

“We could undermine the UK’s successful automotive sector if we don’t allow enough time for the industry to adjust,” warned Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

While many automakers may find it hard to countenance the end of the combustion engine, some have embraced a future where electric vehicles, or perhaps even driverless vehicles, ultimately win the race.

Earlier this month, Volvo became the first major traditional automaker to set a date for phasing out vehicles powered solely by the internal combustion engine by saying all its car models launched after 2019 would be electric or hybrids.

Renault-Nissan in 2009 announced plans to spend 4 billion euros (US$4.7 billion) on electric car development.

But until Volkswagen admitted in 2015 to cheating on US diesel emissions tests, most mainstream auto manufacturers had been slow to sink serious investment into battery cars.

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