The movement to ban the internal combustion engine is growing.
The European cities of Paris, Oxford, as well as the whole of the Netherlands, have recently announced separate proposals to phase out cars powered by fossil fuels.
Copenhagen's mayor proposed a ban on new diesel cars entering the city's environmental zone, a low-emission area that basically covers the whole of the capital, as early as 2019.
"It's not a human right to pollute the air for others," Lord Mayor of Copenhagen Frank Jensen told Danish newspaper Politiken (via The Local DK's translation). "That's why diesel cars must be phased out."
By Luke Tonachel
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it is reconsidering landmark clean car standards that were poised to provide deep reductions in carbon pollution and save consumers $92 billion at the pump. The agency determined in January that the standards for model years 2022 to 2025—originally set in 2012—are achievable and should remain in place. Now, at the urging of automakers, the EPA is shifting into reverse.
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) strongly opposes reopening and weakening the clean car standards, a point we made clear in recent testimony to the EPA. The automakers can meet the current standards with known technologies at reasonable cost. They have no excuses. Rolling them back, however, would increase pollution, raise costs for drivers, slow innovation and put jobs at risk.
By Don Anair
California's top air pollution regulator, Mary Nichols, made headlines last week after making comments to a Bloomberg reporter about the possibility of banning gasoline cars in California. Shortly after that, California Assembly member Phil Ting announced he would introduce state legislation to do just that. Skeptics may raise their eyebrows, but if California is going to meet its long term climate and air quality goals then nearly all future cars and trucks must be powered by renewable electricity and hydrogen. The good news is the state is already on this path.
Two of the world's largest auto companies announced major strides this week in their development of electric vehicles, marking the latest milestone in a significant shift towards EVs in the automobile industry.
On Monday, General Motors unveiled plans to roll out 20 new entirely electric car models by 2023, with two of the new EVs coming out in the next 18 months. Meanwhile, Ford announced the creation of "Team Edison," intended to accelerate the company's EV development and partnership work. The name, Quartz noted, is "seemingly in direct response to Elon Musk's Tesla, which recently surpassed Ford's market capitalization."
After China announced plans to ban new diesel and gasoline-powered cars, California Gov. Jerry Brown is said to be considering the same option, according to Bloomberg.
"I've gotten messages from the governor asking, 'Why haven't we done something already?'" Mary Nichols, chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board, told the publication. "The governor has certainly indicated an interest in why China can do this and not California."
By Joe McCarthy
British airline EasyJet is aiming to bring an electric, battery-propelled plane to market within the decade to handle short term flights.
That means trips from New York to Boston, for instance, or London to Paris, could be completed without fossil fuels. The batteries for the planes will be built by Wright Electric, a team of aerospace engineers, powertrain experts and battery chemists, who have worked in companies such as Nasa, Boeing and Cessna.
Good news for car drivers looking to go electric. In a handful of years, these zero-emission vehicles will be cheaper than traditional gas guzzlers, according to a new report from investment bankers Cowen & Co.
The analysis, compiled by Cowen managing director and senior research analyst Jeffrey Osborne, determined that electric vehicles will cost less than gasoline-powered cars by the early- to mid-2020s due to falling battery prices as well as the costs that traditional carmakers will incur as they comply to new fuel-efficiency standards.
The world's biggest automaker is shifting away from traditional gas guzzlers.
Volkswagen, which has been rebounding from its emissions-cheating scandal, plans to offer an electric version across the group's 300 models by 2030. The company is also rolling out 80 new electric cars under its multiple brands by 2025.
