Ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars

Ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars
Name	Ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars
Date adopted	Various
Jurisdiction	Various
Status	Active/Planned

Ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars is a policy measure adopted by multiple jurisdictions to prohibit the future retail sale of new light-duty vehicles powered by internal combustion engines using petrol (gasoline) or diesel. It is part of broader regulatory frameworks addressing transport Air pollution, Climate change, and energy transitions, and intersects with technological, industrial, and social systems including Automotive industry, Electric vehicle, Battery electric vehicle, Hybrid vehicle, and Public transport planning.

Background

Origins trace to late 20th and early 21st century shifts including the Kyoto Protocol, the Paris Agreement, advances in Lithium-ion battery technology, and policy experiments in cities such as Oslo, London, and Paris. Precedents include Low-emission zones, Fuel economy standards, and incentives such as purchase subsidies in Norway, China, and California. Debates have involved stakeholders such as automakers like Toyota, Volkswagen Group, General Motors, labor organizations like the United Auto Workers, and international institutions including the European Union and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Motivations and Objectives

Primary motivations include meeting nationally determined contributions under the Paris Agreement, reducing emissions from the transport sector including Greenhouse gas and Carbon dioxide emissions, improving urban air quality relative to pollutants regulated under the World Health Organization guidelines, and decreasing dependence on imported Crude oil from producers such as Saudi Arabia and Russia. Objectives often reference targets set by national plans such as the Net Zero 2050 commitments of several states, industrial policy goals for actors like Tesla, Inc. and suppliers including CATL, and public health aims drawing on research by institutions such as the European Environment Agency and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Policy Implementation and Timelines

Implementation approaches vary: some jurisdictions announce absolute sales bans for new petrol and diesel cars by specific years (for example, proposals linked to the United Kingdom 2030 target), others set phase-out trajectories tied to emission performance standards like the EU Emission Trading System adjustments or zero-emission vehicle mandates as used in California Air Resources Board regulations. Timelines have included near-term targets (2030–2035) and longer horizons (2040–2050), often coordinated with industrial strategies such as the Green New Deal proposals, national Infrastructure investments, and procurement policies by entities like the European Commission and municipal authorities in New York City and Los Angeles.

Exemptions and Transitional Measures

Exemptions commonly apply to specialty vehicles such as agricultural tractors from manufacturers like John Deere, classic cars listed by registries like the Historic Vehicle Association, or heavy-duty vehicles regulated separately under frameworks such as the International Maritime Organization and International Civil Aviation Organization. Transitional measures include phase-in credit systems modeled on the California ZEV program, trade-in incentives used in Germany and France, support packages for supply-chain firms like Bosch and Denso, and retraining programs linked to labor ministries and unions like Unifor and IndustriALL Global Union.

Economic and Industry Impacts

Economic analyses reference shifts in capital allocation within conglomerates such as Stellantis and Hyundai Motor Company, changes in employment structures in regions dependent on assembly plants such as Detroit and Wolfsburg, and effects on commodity markets for Lithium, Cobalt, and Nickel involving suppliers in countries like Australia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Financial impacts involve automaker investment plans, supply-chain realignment toward firms like Panasonic Corporation and LG Chem, and market responses observed on exchanges including the London Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange. Fiscal measures include taxation adjustments, carbon pricing experiments in jurisdictions like British Columbia, and industrial subsidies tied to entities such as national development banks.

Environmental and Public Health Effects

Projected environmental benefits center on reduced tailpipe emissions of Nitrogen oxides, Particulate matter, and Carbon monoxide, improving metrics used by the World Health Organization and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Co-benefits include noise reduction in urban corridors studied in cities such as Stockholm and Copenhagen. Risks and caveats involve lifecycle emissions from electricity generation in grids dominated by utilities such as State Grid Corporation of China or Électricité de France, battery recycling challenges addressed by directives like the European Battery Alliance, and mining impacts governed by regulations and standards promoted by organizations such as the International Council on Mining and Metals.

International Approaches and Comparisons

Approaches differ: Norway employed demand-side incentives and high market shares for Electric vehicles; the European Union set fleet-wide CO2 standards and member-state proposals toward 2035; China combined subsidies, local mandates, and industrial policy; subnational authorities like California used regulatory mandates and waiver processes involving the Environmental Protection Agency. Comparative studies reference policy mixes, stakeholder negotiations in forums like the World Economic Forum, and legal challenges in courts such as the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom and the U.S. Court of Appeals.

Category:Transportation policy