Germany Seeks Ban On All IC Engine-Run Cars By 2030

Germany and cars, we all know about that love story; of how the country has grown to become one of the most powerful automotive forces in the world. But like many love stories, this one too could soon take a turn for the worse, as the lawmakers in Berlin recently sought a total ban on internal combustion.

Germany’s Bundesrat, the upper house of its parliament, passed a resolution to ban both gasoline and diesel engines starting in 2030, Forbes reports, citing a story in the German-language Spiegel Magazin. If the ban were to go through, German citizens would only be permitted to purchase electric or hydrogen-fuelled cars. 

The resolution, which has received cross-party support but has no legislative effect, also calls on the European Commission to follow its footsteps and implement the ban across the European Union. The resolution, though, does not hold any legal authority yet, but is set to be influential in framing the directives across the European continent.

The resolution also appeals for the revision of the country’s tax structure that currently offers advantages to diesel cars. At a time when fighting the menace of pollution has become a global concern, a rise in the prices of diesel cars could sway the public sentiment towards other alternatives like battery-operated vehicles.

The German automotive industry also seems aware of the future of cars whether the resolution is successfully implemented or not. While the likes of Volkswagen have committed to rolling out more electric vehicles in the near future, others like Mercedes-Benz and BMW are also intent on taking the electric route.

Even the Indian powers that be have recently initiated a crackdown against the menace of pollution with the National Green Tribunal (NGT), banning diesel vehicles older than 10 years in Delhi and Kerala, and are also helping the Supreme Court form stricter policies for diesel cars in the Delhi-NCR. What lies ahead in terms of electric cars in the country, though, still remains to be seen.