France moving to all electrical cars by 2040, SBS News
France moving to all electrified cars by 2040
It is a celebratory moment in Paris as France’s environment minister, Nicolas Hulot, smashes a champagne bottle against a boat.
He is christening the Energy Observer, the world’s very first boat to be powered solely by wind, solar and hydrogen energy.
The vessel is about to embark on a round-the-world journey lasting six years, all to raise awareness about renewable energy.
The Minister says it is significant for the government to nurture such technologies, but France’s bold plan for fighting climate switch does not stop at the seas.
On the same day, he has announced a plan which could dramatically switch the look of French roads — and the country’s air quality.
“We will announce the end of sales of diesel and petrol cars by 2040.”
It is part of a five-year plan to wean France off fossil fuels and help meet its targets under the Paris climate accord.
The objective is to make the country carbon-neutral by two thousand fifty and reduce nuclear energy from its power mix.
At the news conference announcing the plan, the Environment Minister called the ban on petrol and diesel cars a revolution.
“A fresh theme is to make France the number one in the green economy by making the Paris agreement an chance for creativity, innovation and employment. This is very significant and it’s one of the objectives, the desires, we have, and I hope I will succeed: reconciling economy and ecology.”
The surprise announcement comes after the Swedish car-maker Volvo has exposed its plan to phase out petrol-only cars by 2019.
From then, all of its fresh makes will be either electrified or hybrids, making Volvo the very first major manufacturer to electrify all of its models.
The company’s president, Hakan Samuelsson, has told Radio Sweden it is not just an environment-led decision, but also a business one.
“We are reacting to customer request, asking for electrified cars, and, of course, it’s also the way for us to come down when it comes to CO2 levels and reducing our carbon footprint.”
Analysts say the stir also comes because of regulations around emissions for car-makers.
PriceWaterhouseCoopers’ Darren Jukes says most manufacturers, like Volvo, have some kind of a strategy around electrical vehicles.
“Well, I think we just need to sort of bear this . put this into context, so, what all the manufacturers have announced are a budge towards more electrified features within vehicles. Largely, this can be around hybrid vehicles. You know, the stir towards one hundred per cent unspoiled electrified vehicles is still some way off. What we’re witnessing is a gradual transition through technology, so the combination of various combustion engines with electrical motors in order to provide hybrid technology. So I don’t think we’re witnessing the end of combustion engines just yet.”
France is not the very first country to make a budge towards less-polluting cars either.
India has said it wants all cars electric-powered by 2030.
Norway, where sales of electrified cars are flourishing, says it wants to end the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2025.
And car giant Germany says it wants to put a million electrified vehicles on the road by 2020.
France moving to all electrified cars by 2040, SBS News
France moving to all electrical cars by 2040
It is a celebratory moment in Paris as France’s environment minister, Nicolas Hulot, smashes a champagne bottle against a boat.
He is christening the Energy Observer, the world’s very first boat to be powered solely by wind, solar and hydrogen energy.
The vessel is about to embark on a round-the-world journey lasting six years, all to raise awareness about renewable energy.
The Minister says it is significant for the government to nurture such technologies, but France’s bold plan for fighting climate switch does not stop at the seas.
On the same day, he has announced a plan which could dramatically switch the look of French roads — and the country’s air quality.
“We will announce the end of sales of diesel and petrol cars by 2040.”
It is part of a five-year plan to wean France off fossil fuels and help meet its targets under the Paris climate accord.
The objective is to make the country carbon-neutral by two thousand fifty and reduce nuclear energy from its power mix.
At the news conference announcing the plan, the Environment Minister called the ban on petrol and diesel cars a revolution.
“A fresh theme is to make France the number one in the green economy by making the Paris agreement an chance for creativity, innovation and employment. This is very significant and it’s one of the objectives, the desires, we have, and I hope I will succeed: reconciling economy and ecology.”
The surprise announcement comes after the Swedish car-maker Volvo has exposed its plan to phase out petrol-only cars by 2019.
From then, all of its fresh makes will be either electrified or hybrids, making Volvo the very first major manufacturer to electrify all of its models.
The company’s president, Hakan Samuelsson, has told Radio Sweden it is not just an environment-led decision, but also a business one.
“We are reacting to customer request, asking for electrified cars, and, of course, it’s also the way for us to come down when it comes to CO2 levels and reducing our carbon footprint.”
Analysts say the stir also comes because of regulations around emissions for car-makers.
PriceWaterhouseCoopers’ Darren Jukes says most manufacturers, like Volvo, have some kind of a strategy around electrified vehicles.
“Well, I think we just need to sort of bear this . put this into context, so, what all the manufacturers have announced are a budge towards more electrical features within vehicles. Largely, this can be around hybrid vehicles. You know, the budge towards one hundred per cent unspoiled electrified vehicles is still some way off. What we’re observing is a gradual transition through technology, so the combination of various combustion engines with electrified motors in order to provide hybrid technology. So I don’t think we’re eyeing the end of combustion engines just yet.”
France is not the very first country to make a stir towards less-polluting cars either.
India has said it wants all cars electric-powered by 2030.
Norway, where sales of electrified cars are thriving, says it wants to end the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2025.
And car giant Germany says it wants to put a million electrical vehicles on the road by 2020.
