The world accelerates towards gasoline-free car - UK bans its sales five years ahead of schedule

Recently Nihon Keizai Shimbun Electronic Edition reported the following:

脱ガソリン車、世界で加速　英は販売禁止を5年前倒し

カナダ・ケベック州も35年までに禁止

自動車・機械 ヨーロッパ 北米

2020/11/18 11:31

【ロンドン=佐竹実、ニューヨーク=白岩ひおな】温暖化ガス排出の削減に向け、ガソリン車規制が世界各地で相次いでいる。英政府は17日、ガソリン車とディーゼル車の新車販売を2030年までに禁止すると発表した。カナダのケベック州もガソリン車の新車販売を禁じる。中国なども規制に乗り出しており、電気自動車（EV）など新エネルギー車の普及が進みそうだ。

英政府は2月に規制目標を当初の40年から35年に前倒ししている。今回さらに早めることで環境配慮の姿勢を明確にする。ガソリンと電気を併用するハイブリッド車（HV）も、排出ゼロの規制をクリアしたもの以外は35年までに販売を禁止する。英国での19年の自動車の年間販売台数は約230万台だった。

英政府は50年までに温暖化ガス排出量を実質ゼロとするため、EV化や再生可能エネルギーの促進など10項目に120億ポンド（約1兆6千億円）を投じる。

環境対策の目玉はEVの普及促進だ。13億ポンドを投じて路上や家庭の充電施設を整備し、購入補助金に5億8200万ポンドを充てる。EV向け電池の大量生産のためにも今後4年で5億ポンドを投じる。英国では日産自動車がサンダーランド工場でEV「リーフ」を生産しており、一連の投資で産業活性化も狙う。

カナダのケベック州は16日に35年までにガソリン車の新車販売を禁止すると発表した。商用車や中古車は規制対象から外すという。ルゴール州首相は「地球上の私たち全員が抱える巨大な課題に対処するために努力しなければならない」と述べた。

同州は大都市のモントリオールなどを抱え、人口はカナダで2番目に多い。今回の規制も含め温暖化ガスの削減に向け、5カ年で67億カナダドル（約5330億円）を投じる。予算の半分以上は個人や企業がEVを購入する際の補助金など運輸部門にあてる。充電施設の増設などにも使う。

環境保護に向けた「脱・ガソリン車」の動きは各地で相次いでいる。中国は35年をめどに新車販売のすべてをEVやHVなどの環境対応車とする方向で検討する。EVなど新エネルギー車とHVが新車販売に占める比率（台数ベース）をそれぞれ50%に高める。

米カリフォルニア州は9月下旬、35年までに州内での新車販売を排ガスを出さない「ゼロエミッション車」にするよう義務付けると表明している。

世界最大の自動車市場である中国を含む各地でガソリン車への規制が強まっていることをうけ、自動車各社も対応に乗り出している。

EVについてはトヨタ自動車は20年代前半に世界で10車種以上を展開する計画。日産自動車も23年度までに世界で8車種以上を投入する方針だ。欧州メーカーではフォルクスワーゲン（VW）が25年に世界販売の2割前後をEVとする方針を掲げている。

Translation

[London = Minoru Satake, New York = Hiona Shiraiwa] Gasoline vehicle regulations were being imposed all over the world that was moving towards reducing global warming gas emissions. The British government announced on the 17th that it would ban the sale of new gasoline and diesel vehicles by 2030. Quebec, Canada, also would ban the sale of new gasoline cars. China and other countries were also embarking on regulations, and new energy vehicles such as electric vehicles (EVs) were likely to become widespread.

In February, the British government moved its regulatory target forward from the original 2040 to 2035 years. By making it even earlier this time, it could clarify its attitude of keeping the environment in mind. Hybrid vehicles (HVs) that used both gasoline and electricity could also be banned from sale by 2035, except for those that have passed the zero emission regulations. Annual car sales in the UK in 2019 were about 2.3 million units.

The British government would invest 12 billion pounds (about 1.6 trillion yen) in 10 items such as EV and the promotion of renewable energy in order to reduce global warming gas emissions to virtually zero by 2050.

The highlight of environmental measures was the promotion of EVs. It would invest £ 1.3 billion to build street and home charging facilities, and spend £ 582 million on purchase subsidies. It would also invest £ 500 million over the next four years to mass produce batteries for EVs. In the UK, Nissan Motor was producing the EV "Leaf" at its Sunderland plant, aiming to revitalize the industry through a series of investments.

Quebec in Canada had announced on the 16th that it would ban the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035. Commercial vehicles and used cars would be excluded from the regulations. Quebec provincial Premier Legault said that "we must work to address the enormous challenges we all facing on earth".

This province had large cities such as Montreal and had the second largest population in Canada. Included in this regulation was an invest of 6.7 billion Canadian dollars (about 533 billion yen) in five years to reduce global warming gas. More than half of the budget went to the transportation sector, such as subsidies for individuals and companies to purchase EVs. The budget would also used to expand electricity charging facilities.

The movement of "gasoline-free vehicles" to protect the environment was continuing in different places. China would consider the direction of the environment-friendly vehicles in that all new car sales would be EV and HV cars etc. by 2035. It would increase the ratio of new energy vehicles such as EVs and HVs to new vehicle sales (based on the number of vehicles) to 50% for both.

In late September, the state of California announced that by 1935 it would oblige new car sales in the state to be "zero-emission vehicles" in that it would not emit exhaust gas.

Following the tightening of regulations on gasoline-powered vehicles in various parts of the world, including China which is the world's largest automobile market, automobile companies were also taking steps to respond.

Regarding EVs, Toyota Motor planned on developing more than 10 models worldwide in the first half of the 2020s. Nissan Motor also planned to launch more than eight models worldwide by FY2023. Among European manufacturers, Volkswagen (VW) had set a policy of making EVs about 20% of its global sales in 2013.

              So, traditional gasoline car production would be a sunset industry from now on. The production of  "zero-emission vehicles" will be the new direction for automobile manufactures globally.