China mulling ban on petrol and diesel vehicles

The world’s largest automotive market may announce a ban on conventional petrol and diesel powered vehicles in the coming decades.

The anti fossil fuel sentiment is definitely the trending phenomenon of the automotive industry in 2017. Now, world’s largest automobile market - China, wants to get rid of petrol and diesel vehicles in favour of those running on cleaner alternative energy. 
 
As of now, there is no concrete time frame as to when China wants this change to happen. However, what is official is that by 2025, the country wants to make electric (EV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) cars account for at least a fifth of new cars sold. 
 
China already accounts for the world’s biggest market for electric and hybrid vehicles. Since 2015, approximately 3.36 lakh of these vehicles are already on the country’s roads - which represent roughly about 40 per cent of global EV and PHEV sales. From January to July 2017 alone - more  than 2 lakh such vehicles have seen sold in China.

China already suffers from high traffic congestion, and consequently, alarming air pollution levels. Making the environment sustainable is definitely a motivator for the local authorities to ban fossil fuel powered vehicles in the future.

Also, China wants to grab the leading position in EV development globally to secure the local manufacturing industry’s future - which again, is the world’s largest presently. The Chinese government is already providing lucrative incentives to carmakers to develop EV and PHEV technology. This has already allured a lot of global companies like Ford, VW, Nissan, etc. to form joint ventures with Chinese carmakers.