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[sammex]

France plans to outlaw all petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040, its new environment minister, Nicolas Hulot, has announced.

The radical measure was one of a series he unveiled at a press conference this morning as part of French president Emmanuel Macron's plans to make France a carbon neutral country by 2050.

Mr Hulot, a former star wildlife TV presenter, announced "the end of the sale of petrol or vehicles between now and 2040."

The French will in the meantime be offered financial incentives to scrap their polluting vehicles - including second-hand ones - for clean alternatives, he said, without providing more details.

More here

I wonder if any other countries will announce similar plans after seeing this?

 

[Fliesen]

are they going to get them off the streets or just have them not be sold anymore by 2040.

If it's the latter, it's not particularly ambitious imho.

 

[DrROBschiz]

wow France looking to take the world leader crown

damn son they are moving forward fast

 

[Angelus Errare]

are they going to get them off the streets or just have them not be sold anymore by 2040.

If it's the latter, it's not particularly ambitious imho.

...

""the end of the sale of petrol or diesel vehicles between now and 2040."

The French will in the meantime be offered financial incentives to scrap their polluting vehicles - including second-hand ones - for clean alternatives, he said, without providing more details."

 

[Nugg]

As I understand it, ban all petrol cars in 2040 and ban sales sometimes before that?

Because if it's ban sales in 2040, is 15 years after a lot of countries and really underwhelming.

 

[TheLostBigBoss]

India is making a similar goal

This is why Paris was so important. You put goals in place to allow policy to follow.

 

[KaoteK]

Wow that's fantastic news, hopefully many other countries will follow their example.

 

[DiipuSurotu]

Also, he announced the end of coal-powered electricity production by 2022.

 

[witness]

This is how it starts. Many other countries will do exactly the same and gas powered cars will be relegated to museums. Eventually it'll even happen here in the US as gas stations eventually dry up later this century as all new cars will eventually switch to electric or hydrogen.

 

[gamma]

That's so far in the future that it's basically irrelevant. A thousand things can change till then.

 

[DrSlek]

Macron kicking goals. Good for him.

 

[ClosingADoor]

That's so far in the future that it's basically irrelevant. A thousand things can change till then.

23 years is not that far away.

 

[gamma]

23 years is not that far away.

When it comes to politics it is.

 

[Flo_Evans]

I hope when the time comes in the US they let you keep at least one gas car

 

[Ac30]

23 years is not that far away.

In terms of climate action it is :/ The incentives to scrap old cars are a good start though.

Also, he announced the end of coal-powered electricity production by 2022.

Now this is good news indeed.

I do wonder, what is going to be done with old-timers in the future? Would they require special permits to burn fuel, or a total engine replacement?

 

[metareferential]

If it's an effective ban it means they should stop selling petrol/diesel by much earlier than 2040.

So, not going to happen.

 

[Razorback]

The French will in the meantime be offered financial incentives to scrap their polluting vehicles - including second-hand ones - for clean alternatives, he said, without providing more details.

It's actually better for the environment to keep the car you have for as long as you can then replace it with a new one, even if it's electric.

 

[hanspampel]

Total won't like this

 

[Somnid]

Honestly, this doesn't sound especially ambitious. I feel only a few oddball regional car manufacturers will be selling them by then and with the price of gas they will be very expensive to drive.

 

[Ac30]

It's actually better for the environment to keep the car you have for as long as you can then replace it with a new one, even if it's electric.

Is it always? Keeping some of the shit from the 80s that people still drive around here on the roads can't possibly be better for the environment than scrapping them and getting a new car.

 

[Zaph]

I can't wait to get my first electric car. I'm trying to wait for Tesla to announce a city car/hatchback, but I might break and get an i3

 

[Wiped89]

I hope when the time comes in the US they let you keep at least one gas car

Lol what would be the point of that.

Death to petrol. All hail our electric overlords.

I do wonder, what is going to be done with old-timers in the future? Would they require special permits to burn fuel, or a total engine replacement?

Some special cases will be allowed a permit surely. My parents used to run vintage cars for weddings, and they still needed leaded petrol. They had to get a special permit to run them with lead petrol and buy it from specialist garages.

 

[DiipuSurotu]

Pixar should make a Cars spinoff where the last gas cars on Earth try to survive and adapt in a clean-powered future.

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

This kind of announcement from major governments has the added bonus of affecting the R&D investment decisions of major car manufacturers.

 

[Razorback]

Is it always? Keeping some of the shit from the 80s that people still drive around here on the roads can't possibly be better for the environment than scrapping them and getting a new car.

Here's a clip from Adam Ruins Everything on the subject.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQLbakWESkw

 

[BLAUcopter]

This is how it starts. Many other countries will do exactly the same and gas powered cars will be relegated to museums. Eventually it'll even happen here in the US as gas stations eventually dry up later this century as all new cars will eventually switch to electric or hydrogen.

Meanwhile, Trump trying to bring back coal lol. Dat CLEAN coal!

 

[Palette Swap]

Ending the sale by 2040 is pretty unambitious.
End of sales for 2030 and outright ban in 2040 would have been a much better goal.

But hey, at least we're finally setting a goal, which is a necessary first step.

 

[black_13]

That's sad. Why not just ban the sale of new ones?

As a car guy I still love gas engines. One day a gas car will be considered a classic.

 

[Admiral Woofington]

This is going to be one of those things that due to lobbying and bribery from the auto industry it's never going to come to the US.

 

[GrizzleBoy]

2040 is a looong way away....

23 years ago mobile phones were still the size of the average GAFers flaccid member.

I'd like to see this a lot earlier.

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

France to renege on their climate goal in 2035

 

[gutter_trash]

how are poor people supposed to afford to buy cheap cars?

 

[Fliesen]

...

So it's the sale. So the thread title is wrong - France isn't banning the cars, it's prohibiting sales of such cars. "banning" would imho mean to commit to getting them off the streets and prohibit operating such vehicles.
Which is underwhelming. That's kinda a non-ban, as by 2040 (that's 23 years from now) most manufacturers will likely have shifted away from ICE vehicles by themselves anyways - see Volvo's announcement yesterday.

The incentives to scrap your old gas guzzler are definitely a good move, though.

 

[Jezbollah]

Given the relics I've seen on some of the roads in France, good luck in trying to enforce this..

 

[DiipuSurotu]

Some of GAF's calls to inaction are really puzzling. An "underwhelming" goal is still better than no goal at all.

 

[Aiii]

Sounds like a process that has been long set in progress. I mean, good that they're formalizing it to keep any hold-outs from continuing, but I expect the industry and market to move beyond petrol long before 2040 on its own.

 

[LegendofDragoonLives]

vive la france

 

[Ac30]

Here's a clip from Adam Ruins Everything on the subject.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQLbakWESkw

Well he does say "if it's reasonably efficient, keep it". Those ancient cars certainly aren't as efficient as the smaller cares we drive today. Interesting video nonetheless and I love the presentation

 

[xrnzaaas]

Will France survive to 2040?

 

[Khaz]

Given the relics I've seen on some of the roads in France, good luck in trying to enforce this..

"the end of the sale of petrol or vehicles between now and 2040."

You can still drive them and repair them, but manufacturers can't make new ones.

 

[Enter The 36 Chambers]

Fuck this.

An outright ban is garbage.

Let enthusiasts drive petrol/diesel cars.

 

[KingSnake]

So many naysayers in this thread, it's ridiculous.

A step in the right direction is a step in the right direction.

If the target would be o track to not be met or it will be reversed you can criticise it then.

 

[shira]

This is going to be one of those things that due to lobbying and bribery from the auto industry it's never going to come to the US.

Auto or oil industry?

 

[Bony Manifesto]

In an ideal world, it would be a lot quicker, but you better believe the oil industry is going to do whatever it can to obstruct and undermine schemes like this.

 

[DiipuSurotu]

Fuck this.

An outright ban is garbage.

Let enthusiasts drive petrol/diesel cars.

Lmao wat

"Fuck this, let enthusiasts litter!"

 

[KingSnake]

Fuck this.

An outright ban is garbage.

Let enthusiasts drive petrol/diesel cars.

Why?

 

[King Gilga]

Too bad nobody decent makes electric motorcycles.

 

[NiiloPielinen]

How does electric car concept work with heavy duty vehicles? I mean with big trucks and excavators, bulldozers etc? Is battery tech suitable for such vehicles for them to keep operating same amount of hours as they do currently?

 

[sammex]

This is the first step and one in the right direction. There's nothing to say they couldn't revise this date to earlier if it seemed feasible. There could be a breakthrough in battery tech in the meanwhile, but that won't happen unless industry is forced to look to the future and plan accordingly.

 

[Admiral Woofington]

Auto or oil industry?

Now that you mention it... Both.