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TECHNOLOGY Saturday 5 auguSt 2017
How realistic are plans to ban new gas and diesel cars?

By DAVID McHUGH governments give to the in-
AP Business Writer dustry and consumers.
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) In Norway, electrics are
— Ban the sale of gasoline exempt from the 25 per-
and diesel cars by a dead- cent value-added tax and
line — 2040, 2030, even other fees. Higher taxes
2025. More and more gov- on cars that pollute more
ernments are proposing just would offset lost revenue.
that. Just as important, most of
But how seriously can such Norway’s electricity comes
deadlines be taken? from hydro power, not
The issue of how to phase from burning fossil fuel. That
out polluting traditional en- means increased demand
gines has been pushed to for power from cars won’t
the forefront by scandals mean more emissions from
and crises. First Volkswa- coal- or natural gas-fired
gen’s admission to cheat- electricity plants.
ing on U.S. diesel emissions The industry, meanwhile, is
tests, and more recently a committed to diesel and
push by cities in Germany traditional engines for the
and elsewhere to ban die- near future while it ramps
sels to make the air cleaner. up investment in new tech-
The political desire to switch A demonstrator wearing a face mask with the inscription “Kill diesel emissions” protests the “Diesel nologies. Daimler spent 3
to get rid of traditional en- Summit” that is to take place in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2017. billion euros ($3.5 billion)
gines, however, runs into a Associated Press developing a new, lower
number hurdles in the real all-electric cars. Janecek elimination of gas and engineering and technol- emissions diesel engine
world. More recharging loves his electric Renault diesel except for hybrids ogy group at the Center that is already in some of its
stations need to be set up Zoe, which has enough by 2025 is a goal to be for Automotive Research in E-class sedans. At the same
globally, at a potentially range to make campaign achieved, not a fixed date Ann Arbor, Michigan. “The time, it is spending 10 billion
high cost. And millions of trips and then get back for a ban. France and Brit- practicality of it is another euros on electric and au-
jobs depend on the pro- home to recharge over- ain are looking at 2040 — matter.” What would hap- tonomous technology.
duction of internal combus- night. But for longer trips, so far ahead that the poli- pen to resale values for Governments do the indus-
tion engines, making the he and his wife rely on her ticians involved will no lon- owners of internal combus- try a favor by setting firm
decision politically difficult conventional Toyota Yaris, ger be around and tech- tion cars as the deadline deadlines, says Ferdinand
in many places. a common compromise nology will have changed approaches? What would Dudenhoeffer, director of
“I think there’s a majority, arrangement among early in ways that are hard to happen to gas stations and the Center for Automotive
especially in cities, who say adopters. Experts say elec- predict. The former Neth- their owners? Those are Research at Germany’s
‘we need change,’” says trics could start to beat gas erlands cabinet proposed “huge questions politicians University of Duisburg-Essen.
Dieter Janecek, a member and diesel on cost and all electrics by 2035, but a don’t really want to think “Clear dates, such as 2040
of Germany’s Green party convenience by the mid- new government will have about when they set those for instance, would mean
who is campaigning for 2020s as battery range and to take the final decision. dates,” Smith said. that the car makers could
re-election in the national infrastructure improve. Carmaker Volvo said in July The dates are “more like make a clear plan what to
poll Sept. 24 on his party’s Janecek concedes that that all its models will have guidelines, and when we do in the future.”
official call for an end to “yes, it’s very ambitious. an electric motor from 2019 get closer we’ll figure out Smith said the market
new gas and diesel sales On the other hand, there onwards. However, many how to get there. It’s not an would still play a major
by 2030. are countries like Norway of those cars will be hybrids, unreasonable approach.” role: “If the business model
He is running not just from that want to move ahead which also have an internal As important as the dead- is there, people will find a
anywhere but from Ba- faster. I am convinced it will combustion engine and lines are the incentives way to fund it.”q
varia, home to auto giant happen.” are regarded as a halfway
BMW. Yet he thinks the call And then there is the im- house to emissions-free
to phase out traditional en- pact on those who make driving.
gines is a winner. Janecek, gas and diesel engines. In California, the power-
41, says that many people Banning internal combus- ful Air Resources Board is
are “skeptical of the inter- tion engines from 2030 pushing manufacturers to
nal combustion engine, would affect more than include more zero-emission
because they have to live 600,000 jobs in Germany vehicles in their lineups,
with the consequences directly or indirectly, or 10 without calling for a ban
and the emissions.” That’s percent of the nation’s by a specific date. China
particularly true of urban- workforce, according to a is heavily incentivizing elec-
ites — more than half the study commissioned by the trics.
residents of Munich’s inner- German Association of the Still, soft goals can have
most neighborhoods don’t Automotive Industry. serious impact; Norway
even own a car. And it is in That may be why the dates reached its target of 50,000
cities where the pollution is- touted by governments to electrics in 2015, three years
sue is most pressing. end the sale of traditional ahead of schedule.
A lot would have to hap- engines look more like soft “It’s an easy thing to say,
pen before such a big targets than drop-dead especially since some of
move happens, however. dates. those politicians will not
There aren’t enough public Norway has aggressively be around in 2040,” said
fast-charging stations that promoted electrics, but Brett Smith, assistant direc-
can enable longer trips with even there the proposed tor of the manufacturing,