Britain to Ban New Diesel and Gas Cars by 2040
By STEPHEN CASTLEJULY 26, 2017
LONDON — Scrambling to combat a growing air pollution crisis, Britain announced on Wednesday
that sales of new diesel and gas cars would reach the end of the road by 2040, the latest step in Europe’s battle against the damaging environmental impact of the internal combustion engine.
Another former environment secretary, Ed Davey of the centrist Liberal Democrats, described the government’s failure to commit to a plan to compensate diesel car owners who scrap or retrofit highly polluting vehicles as a "shameful betrayal." Others also say the country’s efforts are not aggressive enough — France has also set 2040 as its target,
but Norway intends to sell only electric cars from 2025, and India wants to do so by 2030.
In Britain, which is also committed to the Paris treaty, the measures have particular political significance
because of rising concern over the level of air pollution, particularly in large cities like London.
Britain’s new clean air strategy, published on Wednesday, calls for sales of new gas and diesel cars and vans to end by 2040.