Japan set to axe pure ICE cars in 15 years
Japan is set to follow the U.K. and California by banning sales of internal combustion engine-only cars by the mid 2030s.
According to a report by Nikkei Asia, the country’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is currently weighing up plans to stop the sale of new diesel and gas-powered cars by 2035 as a key part of its plan to become a zero-emissions society by 2050.
The move would allow the continued sale of hybrid vehicles, such as those pioneered by Toyota and Honda. Toyota says that every model in its range will have an electrified option by 2025, while Nissan aims to increase the number of hybrid and electric cars its sells from 30 percent to 60 percent in less than three years.
Japan’s plans are not as harsh as Britain’s where the government has insisted that sales of pure ICE cars must stop in 2030 and hybrids to be axed in 2035, making every new car sold pure electric. California has also picked 2035 as its EV-only mandate timing, with New Jersey aiming to follow, and China is targeting the same year for half of all new cars sold to be electric, with the remainder hybrids. France has opted for a 2040 ban.
The tide is turning against the internal combustion engine, but there is hope that enthusiasts will be able to remain on the road, either by electrifying their classic cars or running them on synthetic fuel.
