No New Internal Combustion Engines on Denmark’s Highways by 2030

Oct. 3 (UPI) --

Denmark will ban the sale of new cars with internal combustion engines by 2030, the government announced on Tuesday.

Diesel and petrol cars in Denmark must be the past. The future is green, Danish Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said, according to Euractiv.

In just 12 years, we will prohibit the sale of new diesel and petrol cars. And in 17 years, every new car in Denmark must be an electric car or other forms of zero-emissions car, Rasmussen added.

The plan to ban internal combustion vehicles still needs parliamentary approval and will go up for a vote next week.

Is passed, Denmark will be one of several countries that have committed to eliminating gasoline-powered vehicles within the next 25 years.

However, Denmark has been slow to adopt electric cars. Out of 2.5 million private cars on Danish roads, only 9,000 are electric vehicles.

Other countries that have set such a goal include Norway, which has a goal of 2025, as well as France, Netherlands and Ireland, which aim to ban those vehicles by 2030. Israel plans to ban imports of gas-powered vehicles by 2030 and India has said it plans to ban gas-powered vehicles by 2030 if it's economically feasible, Quartz reported.

Several major cities also hope to have a ban, including Athens, Madrid and Mexico City.