Driving Change: How Automakers Vowed to End Combustion Engines in 2018

In 2018, automakers and governments joined to end cars with combustion engines. They set plans to move to electric and zero-emission cars. This change faced many tasks and set new plans for the future. This text shows the past, global steps, and what the change means.

The Context: Why End Combustion Engines?

Cars run with engines that burn gasoline or diesel. For over a hundred years, these engines powered the industry. They also add pollution and gases to the air. People grew upset over climate change. In 2018, many saw that electric and zero-emission cars became the clear path. This switch brought hard tasks in tech, rules, and costs.

Automakers’ Pledge in 2018

Car makers built their fame with combustion engines. They had smooth production lines and strong sales. In 2018, many saw that change was needed. They sought set global dates and rules to plan the switch. The world had mixed rules that made long-term plans hard. Car makers asked for firm deadlines to build new car lines. That year, some lands planned limits or stops for combustion engine sales. This sign pointed to a new era in transport.

Government Steps to End Combustion Engines

Many governments aimed to stop new sales of combustion cars in coming years.

• Europe: Norway and the Netherlands set tough goals. They aimed for all zero-emission car sales by around 2025 to 2030. The UK and France planned stops by 2040 and looked at faster dates.
• Asia: China, the biggest car market, showed plans to stop combustion engine sales. China already led in electric buses and town transport.
• North America: California set rules that all new cars and light trucks must be zero-emission by 2035. Canadian regions like British Columbia fixed rules to shift fully to electric cars by 2040.
• Emerging Markets: Lands like Costa Rica and Colombia put plans to move to zero-emission vehicles by 2050 in some transport sectors.

Global Timelines and Impact on Car Makers

Many agreed that the end of combustion engines would come by the mid-21st century. Governments planned for full change from 2030 to 2050. Some cities started bans in the mid-2020s. These spots let officials test rules that help zero-emission cars.

Car makers then changed how they planned and spent money. They sped up work on electric cars and built new battery and charging chains. Some firms stopped to think. New clear rules helped them move faster into the future.

Challenges Ahead

Many issues still face the change:

• Buyers still think about cost, range, access to charging, and car facts.
• Firms must increase battery making and add more charging spots.
• Different rules across lands call for set standards to help build and sell cars.
• Some regions, like in parts of the United States, still favor combustion engine sales.

Conclusion

2018 stands as a key year when the car world chose an era of electric, zero-emission vehicles. With rules set by governments to end combustion engine sales, the industry pushed to meet new plans. The road to cleaner transport is long. The vows made in 2018 now set the course for how we move.

References:
• Oliver Wyman, “Automakers Need A Global Timetable For Phasing Out Internal-Combustion Engines,” Forbes, 2018.
• International Council on Clean Transportation, “Growing momentum: Global overview of government targets for phasing out sales of new internal combustion engine vehicles,” 2020.
• Government orders and rules from California, Norway, Netherlands, the UK, China, and others that help drive change.

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