France to ban sales of petrol and diesel cars by 2040

Move by Emmanuel Macron’s government comes a day after Volvo said it would only make fully electric or hybrid cars from 2019

France will end sales of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040 as part of an ambitious plan to meet its targets under the Paris climate accord, Emmanuel Macron’s government has announced.

The announcement comes a day after Volvo said it would only make fully electric or hybrid cars from 2019 onwards, a decision hailed as the beginning of the end for the internal combustion engine’s dominance of motor transport after more than a century.

Nicolas Hulot, the country’s new ecology minister, said: “We are announcing an end to the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2040.” Hulot added that the move was a “veritable revolution”.

Source: France to ban sales of petrol and diesel cars by 2040 | Business | The Guardian