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UK Government Signs Commitment That All New Cars Sold by 2050 Will Be Zero-Emission Vehicles

The new car market in the United Kingdom will only include zero-emissions vehicles by 2050, or at least that's what the latest news revolving around this subject are saying.
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Photo: Nissan
The UK Government signed an agreement with 13 other members of the Zero Emissions Vehicle Alliance during the 2015 COP 21 Conference (Conference of Parties) held in Paris.

According to AutoExpress, this historic agreement marks the end of sale for new carbon-emitting vehicles in the UK by the year 2050.

Although it might appear that the UK new-car market will drastically change after 2049, the plan implies taking the first steps sooner than that. Basically, the UK Government signed up to a plan that will include its support to turn all new cars for sale in Great Britain into zero-emission vehicles as fast as possible. The 2050 target specified is the deadline for this deal to become reality.

This historic decision implies future policies that favor the acquisition of EVs and other zero-emission vehicles. Furthermore, the UK Government has agreed to continue its investments in zero-emission infrastructure, the future's gas station network. This means that the British authorities will support both the development of electric vehicle charging points and the system for hydrogen fuel-cell cars.

Currently, the infrastructure is a massive impediment to the rapid development and popularization of zero-emission vehicles, especially in some countries. Not having a dedicated and reliable network destined for charging or refueling this type of cars shatters the hopes and dreams of potential customers for eco-friendly transportation.

Thanks to the decisions signed by 14 governments, experts believe that greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by more than a billion tonnes per year by 2050. As much as any gearhead loves his internal combustion engines, one can't argue that a dramatic reduction of greenhouse gas would be harmful to the environment.

The Zero Emission Vehicle Alliance responsible for this commitment was formed earlier this year. Fortunately, it didn't waste time with estimates and surveys and went for a hands-on approach to cutting the world's emissions from cars.
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About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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