The vice minister of industry in China recently announced that the country has begun the “relevant research” needed to ban the production and sale of diesel and petrol cars and vans. Although they do not yet know when the ban will take effect, this is big news coming out of the world’s biggest car market. China made 28 million cars last year, almost a third of the global total.1
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And they aren’t alone:2
- The UK and France also announced plans to ban new diesel and petrol vehicles by 2040.
- Chinese-owned carmaker Volvo announced that all new car models would have an electric motor beginning in 2019.
- Geely, Volvo’s Chinese owner, hopes to sell one million electric cars by 2025.
- And Renault-Nissan, Ford, and General Motors are all working to develop electric cars in China.
China is planning on electric battery cars and plug-in hybrids to account for at least one-fifth of its vehicle sales by 2025.
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Some predict “turbulent times” coming for the auto industry in China but their goal is possible. And it’s not just possible but smart. It’s long past the time that we consume less oil and work toward greener solutions for ourselves, our families and our environment.
