Clearly, Germany wants to speed up the widespread adoption of electric cars. The government has recently announced an ambitious plan to slash its CO2 emissions by 95 percent by the year 2050, but it’s finding out that getting there is easier said than done. The new financial incentives given to customers who buy a hybrid or electric vehicle have so far failed to spur sales, according to German newspaper Welt. Banning gasoline- and diesel-powered cars is a foolproof way to ensure buyers go electric whether they like it or not.
Some of the controversial resolution’s backers also point out that banning new gasoline- and diesel-powered cars would cement Germany’s position as one of the most respected nations in the global automotive industry. The market is increasingly shifting towards electrification, and the auto industry employs one in seven German workers. Lagging behind other countries would likely cause unemployment to rise.
The proposed ban is simply a resolution; it’s not a law and it’s not scheduled to come into effect yet. Welt points out its main backers are the Green party, the Social Democratic Party (SDP), and the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) that Chancellor Angela Merkel is part of.
Germany hopes it can exert an influence on the rest of Europe. Several of the nation’s top politicians have collectively asked the European Union to consider implementing the exact same ban across the entire continent. Of course, England — which recently left the E.U. after spending years complaining about Germany’s influence — won’t be affected by the ban if it ever makes the transition from a resolution to a law.
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