Added on November 21, 2018  The News Wheel   , , , ,
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British Columbia To Ban Combustion Vehicles by 2040

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A smattering of states and countries across the world are working on legislation to cut down on internal-combustion engines, replacing them with electric- or hydrogen-powered vehicles. Now, the Canadian province of British Columbia (the westernmost province that includes Vancouver) is looking to join the group.

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The plan announcement comes from Premier John Horgan. He promised his government would introduce legislation next year to make all new car sales in the province electric or other zero-emissions technology by 2040. This includes some sales target phases. Zero-emission sales will be 10 percent in 2025, 30 percent by 2030, and 100 percent by 2040.

Meanwhile, the government will invest heavily in expanding fast-charging networks and offering electric car incentives. British Columbia currently offers strong incentives for battery-electric, plug-in hybrid, and hydrogen fuel cell cars. These incentives would expand over time.

Canada is a surprisingly strong market for electric cars. Sales more than doubled year-over-year in the second quarter of 2018, although demand is still much higher for internal-combustion vehicles.

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This move somewhat follows the lead of Quebec. The province of Quebec passed similar legislation in 2016, which made sales targets of 15.5 percent zero-emissions vehicles by 2020.

A similar bill is currently in the works in California (although it seems to still be in committee discussion, almost 11 months later). Across the Atlantic, in July last year France set up a ban on gas and diesel cars by 2040, but critics of the plan likened the ban to “banning sales of horses for road transportation by 2040.”

News Sources: Reuters, California Legislature