Germany Wants To Kill Internal Combustion Engines

Volkswagen ID concept (Credit: Volkswagen )

Germany wants to put the final nail in the coffin of internal combustion engines. The government just passed a resolution that would ban all sales of internal combustion engines by 2030. That means no hybrids, just motors that don’t run on gasoline, diesel, etc.

This resolution hasn’t been adopted by the European Union, but if it does you’ll see a huge shift in the market. Old cars would still be allowed in Europe, but all new vehicles would have to be EVs, or maybe hydrogen fuel-cells.

As Forbes pointed out, Germany cannot force the EU to adopt this resolution, but the country has quite a bit of influence. After all, it’s the largest and most vibrant economy in the region. Considering how many automakers sell vehicles in the EU, beyond just European brands, this would have a big ripple effect in the industry.

It shouldn’t be a huge surprise that Germany would push for this. The country has been pioneering renewable energy for some time, producing enough to sell a surplus to other nations. After the Dieselgate scandal, some might view Germany as a big contributor to pollution. With about half of all new cars sold there running on diesel, that image is tough to shake.

Plenty of EV concepts were paraded out during the Paris Motor Show, so it looks like automakers there are willing to get on board with this switch.