German Bundesrat says nein to all diesel and gas cars by 2030

There is a big push all around the world to eliminate cars that run on gasoline and diesel fuel. There is more than one reason for this push with one big reason being a reduction in pollution and another being to reduce dependence on foreign oil since many countries don't sit on enough oil reserves to provide for the country's needs.Germany is one of the nations in Europe that wants to move away from vehicles powered by fossil fuels and word has surfaced that the country wants to ban gas and diesel vehicles by 2030.

The German Bundesrat approved a resolution last week that calls for a ban on all internal combustion engine cars by the year 2030. The Bundesrat is a federal council composed of representatives from all 16 of Germany's states. One important tidbit about the Bundesrat is that it lacks the power to actually make law. German fans of internal combustion will also be glad to hear that since Germany is part of the EU, any such ban would also need to be enacted by the European Commission.

However, there is a catch. Germany is one of the most influential members of the EU and often what Germany wants to do eventually becomes EU policy according to Cleantechnica. That means that while the Bundesrat lacks the power to make laws, its opinions to weigh heavily on what the EU tends to do. Should this ban ever actually come to pass, it could affect automotive fans around the world. Imagine a world where Porsche, BMW, and Mercedes were federally mandated to produce no vehicles with combustion engines.

Another important tidbit in the Bundesrat resolution is that the ban would also eliminate plug-in hybrid vehicles because they use internal combustion engines as well. The resolution also calls for the elimination of policies that favor vehicles powered by diesel, such as policies that give lower taxes on the sales of new diesel vehicles. If this resolution ever become law, it would certainly have far reaching implications outside of Europe.

SOURCE: Cleantechnica