In July, French officials announced plans to ban the sale of gas and diesel vehicles by 2040. We were told, however, that fossil-fueled cars and trucks sold before 2040 would still be allowed to roam French roads.
That second bit may be true in most parts of the country, but not in Paris. Mayor Anne Hidalgo had previously said that diesel vehicles would be banned from the capital as of 2024, when the City of Lights hosts the Summer Olympics. Today, a high-ranking official in her government said that a ban on gas-powered vehicles would follow six years later:
Paris City Hall said in a statement France had already set a target date of 2040 for an end to cars dependent on fossil fuels and that this required speedier phase-outs in large cities.
“This is about planning for the long term with a strategy that will reduce greenhouse gases,” said Christophe Najdovski, an official responsible for transport policy at the office of Mayor Anne Hidalgo.
“Transport is one of the main greenhouse gas producers…so we are planning an exit from combustion engine vehicles, or fossil-energy vehicles, by 2030,” he told France Info radio.