France to ban all petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040
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France to ban all petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040
France has announced it will ban the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2040, as part of plans to make the country carbon-neutral.
The proposed ban on fossil-fuel-powered vehicles was announced by the country’s fresh environment minister, Nicolas Hulot, at a press conference on Thursday. It will mean only electrical cars or those using alternative fuels will be sold in the country from 2040.
Hulot, who is a long-time environmental campaigner and was brought on board by freshly elected president Emmanuel Macron, said the stir would help France achieve its plans to become carbon-neutral by 2050.
His announcement goes after the news that Volvo will only make electrical and hybrid vehicles as of 2019, and comes as G20 members – including US president Donald Trump, a climate-change sceptic – meet in Germany for the annual summit.
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The summit is expected to see world leaders discuss climate switch as a priority, after President Trump determined to to withdraw the US from the Paris climate switch agreement in June.
Macron has been a vocal critic of this decision, and Hulot made a point of this in his speech, stating “France has determined to become carbon-neutral by two thousand fifty following the US decision.”
The former journalist also said that lower-income households will receive financial help when substituting their fossil-fuel-powered vehicles with electrical ones.
“The government will suggest each French person a bonus to substitute their diesel car dating before one thousand nine hundred ninety seven or petrol from before two thousand one by a fresh or second-hand vehicle,” he said.
Hulot also referenced Volvo’s plans in his speech, and suggested that French car manufacturers, such as Peugeot-Citroen and Renault, would go after suit.
Up until now, it has largely been Tesla and German car brands – including BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen – leading the race towards battery-powered vehicles.
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Other announcements made at the press conference included a commitment to stopping the use of coal-powered violet wand by 2022, as well as a pledge to invest up to €Four billion (£Trio.Five billion) into energy efficiency.
These measures are all part of the country’s five-year plan that aims to fulfil France’s commitments under the Paris Agreement.
France is not the only country which aims to ban the internal combustion engine from its roads. The Netherlands and Norway previously said they dreamed to get rid of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2025, and Germany has moved to ban petrol-powered cars from sale by 2030, providing a window into potential future regulations across the European Union.