I just stumbled across a relatively interesting report (or several for that matter). Apparently, the U.K. is planning to completely ban cars that run on gasoline by the year 2040. Apparently, the car industry in the U.K. feels that the demand for electric cars will reach a tipping point, and the desire for gasoline vehicles will diminish. 

 

Is this really a legitimate thing in the U.K.?

 

http://money.cnn.com/2017/07/26/news/uk-bans-gasoline-diesel-engines-2040/index.html

http://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/uk-to-ban-internal-combustion-engines-by-2040/ar-AAoRBgW?OCID=ansmsnnews11

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-autos-idUSKBN1AB0U5

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-40723581

It was actually France that started the trend on the 6th of July, announcing the will of the government to ban diesel and petrol cars by 2040.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/jul/06/france-ban-petrol-diesel-cars-2040-emmanuel-macron-volvo

 

So I'd say that yes, it's pretty much legitimate. Now comes the question of, is it doable? Questionable.

Edited July 26, 20178 yr by Hystery

It wasn't France. Norway announced a plan about a year ago, that they'd ban all fossil-fuel engines in cars by 2025.

And it's legitimate. Why wouldn't it be?

2025 is 8 years from now and the population of Norway is around five million, I don't think it's doable in that period of time, you're talking about hundreds of thousands car that need to be replaced. And what about public transportation, must they also be non gas? 

I think its one of these things that it will all die down in a few years. I think politicians are ignoring the bigger problem - IMMIGRATION AND SUBSEQUENTLY POPULATION. You wouldn't have the problem if cars were so widely avaliable and that we let a million odd immigrants in. Improve public transport and make it cheaper and that will help. But I struggle to see how anyone will trust this from the government considering that we will told by them before diesels were more economical. Granted a different party, but still. I think diesels banned maybe but at least allow petrol - I really think 2040 is still too soon. 2025 is definitely, but then the UK has an extra 60 million people. And it seems like Norway is a country that easily adapts to changes, such as arming its police. 

 

Buses in the big cities here, particuarly London, tend to be either hybrid or fully electric, but in the smaller towns like where I live, they are diesel. Granted we have fewer buses, smaller populations, and much more green space so its not such a problem. 

It's easy to promise things decades down the line when your Government won't be in power.

13 minutes ago, Cyan said:

It's easy to promise things decades down the line when your Government won't be in power.

 

Are you saying the UK government will fall one day?

2 hours ago, TheSandwichStealer said:

2025 is 8 years from now and the population of Norway is around five million, I don't think it's doable in that period of time, you're talking about hundreds of thousands car that need to be replaced. And what about public transportation, must they also be non gas? 

Those regulations only apply for new cars, not used and registered ones. Obviously.

 

 

6 minutes ago, TheSandwichStealer said:

 

Are you saying the UK government will fall one day?

Cyan means that in 2040 there will be different people in power.

Oh okay, I get it now. 

2 hours ago, TheSandwichStealer said:

And what about public transportation, must they also be non gas? 

 

To be fair, most public transports here are working on hybrid engines already, it wouldn't be too far-fetched to have all public transports using inner combustion engines to be fully electric in the future decades. Now for the replacement of every car, that's another problem. Especially if we take into consideration how expensive electric cars are, and how expensive electricity is to begin with. It'd be easily accessible for rich and high middle-classes, but hard to reach for people with a more limited budget.

 

2 hours ago, qwertyK said:

I think politicians are ignoring the bigger problem - IMMIGRATION AND SUBSEQUENTLY POPULATION.

 

Why, for dog sake, why would you bring immigration into this problematic, why does immigration always have to make its way in every conversation, it's getting ridiculous now.

3 hours ago, Break said:

It wasn't France. Norway announced a plan about a year ago, that they'd ban all fossil-fuel engines in cars by 2025.

And it's legitimate. Why wouldn't it be?

It just doesn't seem feasible at all. Maybe it would be easy to do in Europe, but I imagine it would be nearly impossible to accomplish in the US.

I doubt something would work like this in the U.S. by 2040. The best selling vehicle is the Ford F150. SUV and Truck sales are at all time highs, small car sales are dwindling (including green cars and hybrids). Our government has to offer tax incentives in order for people to buy the cars. 

 

Even then, I don't think older, classic vehicles will be outright "banned" as some people are worrying about in this topic. It only applies to brand new vehicles sold in the country. The government is not going to break into your garage and take away your 1968 Mustang. 

 

Considering the average car is kept for 12 years, this means internal combustion engine vehicles will still be common until the 2050's. I'll be in my 50's by then. My grandchildren may not know what a V8 engine sounds like, but I'll sure as hell be enjoying mine.  

 

Even as Cyan said, it's easy to promise something decades down the line. I'll also add that people get uneasy when the government starts throwing around the word "ban", especially when that comes to our personally owned property, like guns and vehicles. That doesn't sound very democratic. I sure hope these decisions are voted on by a majority. 

5 hours ago, TheSandwichStealer said:

 

Are you saying the UK government will fall one day?

 

He's using the USA as an example and he is correct, the people who said that now won't be in office when 2040 rolls around. Then they'll claim they did all they could do in office whoever currently runs the nation failed, everyone passes the blame. 

6 hours ago, Hystery said:

 

To be fair, most public transports here are working on hybrid engines already, it wouldn't be too far-fetched to have all public transports using inner combustion engines to be fully electric in the future decades. Now for the replacement of every car, that's another problem. Especially if we take into consideration how expensive electric cars are, and how expensive electricity is to begin with. It'd be easily accessible for rich and high middle-classes, but hard to reach for people with a more limited budget.

 

 

Why, for dog sake, why would you bring immigration into this problematic, why does immigration always have to make its way in every conversation, it's getting ridiculous now.

 

I agree 100%, what needs to happen in order for this come true (well almost true) is two things. One, multiple companies need to produce electric cars, that way the more competition there is, the more cars are out there. And two, people (not most) in general need a strong incentive to buy electric cars, mainly being, "will this car perform just as good as my old one".

8 hours ago, Hystery said:

 

To be fair, most public transports here are working on hybrid engines already, it wouldn't be too far-fetched to have all public transports using inner combustion engines to be fully electric in the future decades. Now for the replacement of every car, that's another problem. Especially if we take into consideration how expensive electric cars are, and how expensive electricity is to begin with. It'd be easily accessible for rich and high middle-classes, but hard to reach for people with a more limited budget.

 

 

Why, for dog sake, why would you bring immigration into this problematic, why does immigration always have to make its way in every conversation, it's getting ridiculous now.

True, but it is ultimately the cause of high population and thus more pollution isn't it?

7 hours ago, Original Light said:

I doubt something would work like this in the U.S. by 2040. The best selling vehicle is the Ford F150. SUV and Truck sales are at all time highs, small car sales are dwindling (including green cars and hybrids). Our government has to offer tax incentives in order for people to buy the cars. 

 

Even then, I don't think older, classic vehicles will be outright "banned" as some people are worrying about in this topic. It only applies to brand new vehicles sold in the country. The government is not going to break into your garage and take away your 1968 Mustang. 

 

Considering the average car is kept for 12 years, this means internal combustion engine vehicles will still be common until the 2050's. I'll be in my 50's by then. My grandchildren may not know what a V8 engine sounds like, but I'll sure as hell be enjoying mine.  

 

Even as Cyan said, it's easy to promise something decades down the line. I'll also add that people get uneasy when the government starts throwing around the word "ban", especially when that comes to our personally owned property, like guns and vehicles. That doesn't sound very democratic. I sure hope these decisions are voted on by a majority. 

I think the USA just wouldn't have such a high pollution problem like that, sure in some places, but it mostly comes from factories. Under the current Trump administration, I honestly doubt we will see any type of climate laws passed. 

2 hours ago, qwertyK said:

I think the USA just wouldn't have such a high pollution problem like that, sure in some places, but it mostly comes from factories. Under the current Trump administration, I honestly doubt we will see any type of climate laws passed. 

 

The USA are actually the second biggest polluters in the world, right behind China, so don't underestimate how much pollution the US are generating on a worldwide scale, and not only from factories.

10 hours ago, Original Light said:

Considering the average car is kept for 12 years, this means internal combustion engine vehicles will still be common until the 2050's. I'll be in my 50's by then. My grandchildren may not know what a V8 engine sounds like, but I'll sure as hell be enjoying mine.  

 

Even as Cyan said, it's easy to promise something decades down the line. I'll also add that people get uneasy when the government starts throwing around the word "ban", especially when that comes to our personally owned property, like guns and vehicles. That doesn't sound very democratic. I sure hope these decisions are voted on by a majority. 

 

See, while I understand a point of view like this, I find it very outdated in nowadays setting. Climate change is very real and happening very fast. Global warming is caused by many things, one of them being pollution from transports. While you sure as hell would be enjoying your V8, it'd be one hell of a selfish move to just say "I'll enjoy it if I can, don't care if it's polluting the air and accelerating climate change and global warming. Hey, maybe my grandchildren won't know what a V8 engine sounds like, but they'll know what it did to their ecosystem!" It doesn't need to be democratic. It's a question of life and death for future generations, decisions have to be taken ASAP, there's no need for a vote when it comes to this kind of things.

The pollution coming from a few V8 engines on the road by 2050 will be so little, since there's going to be far less of them. It wouldn't even be a spec of dust to the earth. If 50% -70% of vehicles on the road by then are electric, pollution is already going to drastically be cut. Why do you care about what other people drive? Drive what makes YOU happy. Don't tell other people how to live their lives. The glass is always half full for environmental advocates. You can still have your cake, and eat it too. Compromise. Climate change is real, I'm not denying that. But we can still have our fun, too. By the way, it's mainly factories that produce the majority of our pollution. Not vehicles.

A ban on anything personal is something that I stand against. I shouldn't be forced to drive a certain type of vehicle, that doesn't sound very "free" to me. Maybe the government can offer a variety of incentives to those that do decide to drive less polluting vehicles, but I'm against any sort of law prohibiting the use of gasoline-based vehicles; I also imagine that most of the United States would be against it as well, or simply not care at all.

 

As a matter of fact, I'm for certain that most Americans wouldn't give a damn.

Edited July 27, 20178 yr by TheDivineHustle

It's not a matter of being free to do whatever or not, or being "forced" to do anything. It's a matter of seeing the bigger picture. Either we restrain ourselves from using very polluting transports and industries, for the sake of future generations, or we keep acting selfish, being like "Pfft, I use a polluting engine if I want too", and we'll be the architects of a rather unfriendly environment for our descendants. Basically, either we do it for the greater good, or we don't for our selfish, personal enjoyment.

Bouncing off of what @Original Light said, do what makes you happy. If you want to drive a hybrid, you're absolutely free to do that. If you want to plant a flower, Godspeed to you and I wish you the best. But do not force me to go and purchase a hybrid or pass laws that require me to plant flowers on my own property. That is a direct breach of my personal freedom to make the decisions that I see best fit for my own life. This can also escalate into a political issue. A government feels that since it was able to pass laws banning certain types of vehicles, it can proceed to pass similar laws in similar areas. Next, they'll ban this, because it helps the environment. Then they'll ban that because it saves lives. Then they'll ban this because it's not healthy for the human body. They'll ban that because it can be passed down through genetics to the next generation of children within a bloodline. Once a government starts to ban things for the sake of our own "protection", we've got an issue.

 

I say we leave things the way they are and focus on things a little more urgent for the time being.

4 hours ago, Original Light said:

Drive what makes YOU happy. Don't tell other people how to live their lives.

 

 

Edited July 27, 20178 yr by TheDivineHustle