France to ban sale of petrol and diesel vehicles
07/07/2017
Mr Hulot made the announcement as he unveiled a plan to make France carbon neutral by 2050. Other pledges included the end of using coal to produce electricity by 2022 and up to €4 billion of investment to boost energy efficiency. It marks the start of a five-year effort to ensure France meets its commitments as part of the Paris climate accord.
The minister accepted that the pledge on petrol and diesel cars would put pressure on France’s vehicle manufacturers, which include Renault and PSA, the maker of Peugeot and Citroen cars, but he expressed a belief that they would be capable of meeting this challenge.
As part of the plan, households with lower incomes would receive financial assistance to swap their petrol of diesel vehicles for clean alternatives. There was no suggestion that petrol or diesel cars already on the road would be banned.
France’s pledge comes just a day after Swedish automotive brand Volvo announced that all the models it launches from 2019 will have an electrical motor. It described this move as “the historic end” of cars that run solely on internal combustion engines.
Image: The new Scénic model from French manufacturer Renault is available with hybrid assist, which consists of an electric motor that works in combination with the internal combustion engine.
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