France On Track To Ban New Petrol And Diesel Car Sales By 2040

France will reportedly uphold its planned ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2040.

Speaking on Tuesday, France Transport Minister Elizabeth Borne said that a new mobility law that will also facilitate the introduction of more EV charging stations will allow for the pledge to ban petrol and diesel vehicles to remain firm.

The proposal to ban the sale of fossil-fuel powered vehicles was first made in July 2017 by former environment minister Nicolas Hulot at the start of President Emmanuel Macron’s term. However, Hulot resigned in September 2018 to protect Macron’s lack of commitment to environmental causes and, for some time, it remained unclear if the plan would go ahead. Borne has since confirmed that it will.

Also Read: France Will Ban The Sale Of Petrol And Diesel Vehicles By 2040

“We have [a] target for carbon neutrality by 2050 and we need a credible trajectory towards that, which includes a ban on the sale of vehicles that consume fossil fuels by 2040,” she said in an interview, Reuters reports. “Since the start of Emmanuel Macron’s term, our target is the climate plan that Nicolas Hulot announced in the summer of 2017. We will now inscribe this target into law.”

France’s mobility law will give the residents of apartment buildings the right to ask for EV charging stations to be installed in their parking lots. Additionally, the reform will promote alternatives to individual automobile usage, upgrade railway networks, and create a legal framework for mobility solutions like bicycles, electric scooters, and car-sharing.