A ban on the use of combustion-engine cars in Germany is possible because of the country's pledge to increase the use of electric vehicles.
Germany's next government has committed to stop the sale of cars powered by engines by the end of the decade, according to a pact published by the Social Democrats, Greens, and Free Democrats.
To meet this number, the country will need to rapidly increase production of electric vehicles, while likely phasing out cars powered by petrol and diesel in the next few years.
The professor of renewable energy systems at the University of Applied Sciences in Berlin said that it would only be possible if new cars with internal combustion engines were not registered before 2030. It makes sense to stop registration of gasoline and diesel cars by the year 2028.
Germany has an estimated 570,000 registered battery-powered cars, which make up just 1% of the country's fleet. The country will need to increase production and sales of electric vehicles by a third a year through the year 2030.
The country has struggled to meet early goals surrounding electric vehicle usage, including missing outgoing Chancellor's pledge to get 1 million battery-powered cars on the roads by 2020. Some experts say that Germany has hurdles to overcome in raising awareness and accessibility to consumers.
The coalition agreement doesn't have much substance when it comes to reaching high levels of EV sales in practice, according to a researcher. Consumers will take some convincing.
If Germany's goals are achieved, it would be in line with the European Union's goal to phase out the use of combustion-engine vehicles by the year 2035.
According to Germany's coalition document, only CO2 neutral vehicles will be allowed in the transport sector in Europe in 2035. We advocate that only vehicles that can be refueled with e-fuels can be registered.
