World leaders at the recent G-20 meetings
If France’s Environment Minister has his way, the country could join a small but growing list of countries that plan to ban vehicles running on gasoline, diesel or other fossil fuels.
The proposal was announced late last week by Minister Nicolas Hulot and appeared timed to coincide with the G20 meeting in Germany where many European leaders, including new French President Emmanuel Macron, challenged U.S. President Donald Trump over his decision to walk away from the Paris Climate Accord.
Several countries have already laid out ambitious plans to eliminate fossil fuel-powered automobiles. Environment Minister Hulot said it won’t be easy for France, either. “It’s a very difficult objective. But the solutions are there.” And, as the world’s sixth-largest economy, and with one of the world’s largest automotive markets, the proposed ban on the internal combustion engine could have significant impact far beyond France’s borders.
Going Mainly Electric Within Six Years?
France has two major automakers based in Paris, both of which have made electrification key objectives. PSA Group […]
I find it s bit troubling that countries would mandate that all vehicles be electric. It is a new technology that relies greatly on infrastructure to work. India is especially worrisome, due to their lack of infrastructure. Automobiles account for only 15% of global green house gas emissions, and there is plenty of room to reduce that number without banning gasoline/deisel engines. Do we even know what the environmental impacts from creating enough battery packs/charging units to power all of these vehicles? I’m all for going electric, but cautious about believing there is a silver bullet to fix climate change. I would love to see an article outlining the implications and environmental impacts of going fully electric.