While it is difficult to admit for automotive enthusiasts, petrol and diesel powered cars won’t be for sale forever. Now, a total of eight states in the United States as well as four European countries have announced their intention to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from the year 2050.
The US states that follow the zero-emissions vehicle (ZEV) mandate of California and plan on completely banning the sale of petrol and diesel cars in 35 years are Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon and Vermont. The global ZEV alliance with the same restrictions is to be adopted by Germany, the UK, Norway, the Netherlands and Quebec in Canada.
According to Car and Driver, this initiative, along with others planned around the world, will slash global CO2 emissions by 40 per cent and result in sea levels and temperatures dropping.
At this stage, neither the US or the global ZEV alliance have passed laws relating to their goal and it is unlikely they’ll do so for well over a decade. It is also currently unclear if they have the legal authority to implement such a strict mandate, which most likely be challenged by automakers.
Given the rapid development of plug-in hybrid and electric technologies, such vehicles will surely increase in the following years. Currently, though, they account for a very small percentage of the market. It would be thus premature to write an obituary for the internal combustion engine.
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