Goodbye to combustion-engine vehicles?

The draft Climate Change and Energy Transition Law will ban the sale of combustion-engine vehicles from 2040 in Spain.

The Spanish Government aims to drive the restructuring of the automotive sector through the ban on the sale and registration of combustion-engine vehicles from 2040. The cars covered by this category are: diesel, petrol and hybrids. In this way, the goal is to reduce CO2 polluting emissions by 20% compared with 1990 figures by 2030.

It would mean the end of diesel, petrol and hybrid cars

The Ministry for the Ecological Transition, together with the current Executive, has drawn up a draft for the Climate Change and Energy Transition Law. This document includes the ban on the sale and registration of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles with combustion engines from 2040. The cars affected by this possible regulation are diesel, petrol and hybrid vehicles.

The draft also proposes cooperative work with local councils. This will involve the prohibition of traffic in specific areas of municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants from 2023. This example can currently be seen in the Spanish capital (Madrid Central). The long-term goal is to ban their circulation by 2050. Furthermore, the installation of electric charging stations at petrol stations is encouraged.

In this way, the Spanish Government’s goal is for CO2 polluting emissions not to exceed 230 million tonnes by 2030. This would mean a 20% reduction compared with the figures reached in 1990. In addition, the goal will be to reduce by a little more than 65% compared with current data (339 million tonnes of CO2).

This goal of reducing emissions has been set with the promotion of renewable energies. This possible law will require renewable energy consumption to reach 35% and for 70% of the electricity generated to also come from renewable sources.

On the other hand, looking towards 2050, the expectations for emissions reduction are even more ambitious. The Executive’s plan is for CO2 emissions not to exceed 29 million tonnes. In addition, electricity production must be fully renewable.

France and the United Kingdom: same goal and same dates

This Government decision takes as its benchmark the regulations of France and the United Kingdom. Both countries have proposed banning the sale and registration of combustion-engine vehicles in 2040. In addition, the British intends to prohibit the circulation of these cars from 2050.

Other examples can be found in Germany, Denmark or the Netherlands, which have set 2030 as the deadline. However, the leading country in this type of regulation is Norway. The Scandinavians have set the year 2025 as the end of diesel, petrol and hybrid vehicles. A significant fact is that during the first three quarters of 2017, electric vehicles registered in Norway accounted for more than 30%, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA).

However, the data for Spain are not as positive. According to the Business Association for the Development and Promotion of the Electric Vehicle, during 2017 0.6% of passenger cars registered were electric. This amounted to a total of 7,448 vehicles compared with 1,234,000 registered.