UK Also Announces 2040 Gas Vehicle Ban

Jul 27, 2017

Air pollution sullies the London skyline. Poor air quality, much of it a result of pollution from vehicles, is estimated to cause between 23,000 and 40,000 deaths nationwide every year. Image: Stu Mayhew (CC 2.0 license)


An increasing number of European countries, cities, and vehicle manufacturers are announcing target dates for transitioning away from sales of vehicles using fossil-fuel-driven engines.   In the last few days, Britain reported that it would join France in banning all new sales of fossil fuel cars and trucks by 2040 in order to fight its increasing air pollution crisis and to keep its Paris climate commitments.  On Tuesday, BMW also announced they would make their new all-electric Mini in Oxford, England.  “We see electric powertrains as the future for our industry,” a spokesman said.

From the NY Times:

“Britain’s decision is…the latest indication of how swiftly governments and the public in Europe have turned against diesel and internal combustion engines in general…

The shift away from internal combustion engines is in large part a result of growing awareness of the health hazards of diesel.

Cities like Madrid, Munich and Stuttgart are considering diesel bans. Sales of diesel cars are plunging. Political leaders are under pressure to end the de facto subsidies of diesel fuel that prevail in Europe.”

See the full Times story on the UK announcement HERE.