With the increasing prevalence of low-emission and in some cases fully electric cars, it’s clear that the gas engine’s days are numbered. Now, Germany has put a hard date on exactly when it wants to hold the funeral for the modern combustion engine—and it’s Jan. 1, 2030.
Germany’s federal council introduced and passed a resolution to ban the construction of new internal combustion engines by 2030, and the country has called on the rest of the European Union to follow suit. That means that in just 14 years, Germans will have no choice but to opt for zero-emission vehicles.
The country made its decision based on the now undeniable evidence that emissions from traditional engines are contributing to climate change. However, it’s important to note that this ban would only be in place on new vehicle purchases, and that gas vehicles already on the road would still be able to operate.
In order to incentivize the development and sale of emission-free vehicles going forward, Germany’s resolution suggests that a change in taxing structure could be beneficial. In short, greater taxes and penalties on gas engines and more breaks for zero-emission cars could rapidly increase the number of electric vehicles on the road in anticipation of the expected 2030 ban.
What’s particularly interesting about Germany’s push to eliminate the internal combustion engine is that the man who is perhaps most responsible for the spread and success of gas engines was Nikolaus Otto, a German engineer.
H/T Engadget