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Automakers react to U

Automakers react to U.K.'s ban on gasoline and diesel cars

Vehicles drive in central London, Wednesday, July 26, 2017. To control air pollution, fresh diesel and petrol cars and vans could be banned in the UK from 2040. ( AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth )

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Automakers are backing the U.K.’s plan to ban the sale of gasoline and diesel vehicles, but the industry says there’s still a long way to go before electrified cars can take over the road.

The U.K. is the 2nd European government in the past month to impose a ban on the traditional internal combustion engine. Like France, the U.K. confirmed on Wednesday that it will ban gasoline- and diesel-powered cars after 2040, seeking to accelerate the shift to electrified vehicles. The U.K. and France account for about a third of the automobile market in the European Union.

The stir comes as prices for electrical vehicles begin to drop. In the U.S., General Motors (GM) has begun selling the Chevrolet Bolt, a $37,500 long-range electrified car. Tesla (TSLA) will supply the very first Model three electrical sedans this month. Volvo recently announced plans to sell only electrified and hybrid vehicles after 2019, and Jaguar Land Rover is working on an I-Pace electrified crossover.

“We welcome the clarity provided on the transition to a future where electrical cars are the norm. Jaguar Land Rover is already working towards the two thousand forty timetable in moving to autonomous, connected, electrified vehicles,” said Jeremy Hicks, U.K. managing director of Jaguar Land Rover.

However, the British automaker cautioned that only 1% of cars presently driven in the U.K. are electrical, adding that technological advancements in petrol and diesel engines will proceed to play a “key role in controlling carbon emissions” until the ban takes effect.

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“While we fully recognise that zero emissions are the future, there are no assures that we will get the take-up of electrical vehicles at the rate and scale government would like without the adequate financial incentives and charging infrastructure,” Hicks said.

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Ford (F) also stressed that current gasoline and diesel cars will power the transition to electrical motors.

The U.S. automaker’s next generation of electrified vehicles will be on the road by 2020. In the meantime, clean-energy technology available in modern powertrains “will proceed to play an significant part in keeping cities and businesses across the UK moving,” said Andy Barratt, Ford of Britain’s chairman and managing director.

Ford, a popular brand in the U.K., welcomed the government’s plan and said it “supports the existing trajectory of the industry.”

“We also recognize the importance and value of urban air quality and are working with the Government to take activity,” Barratt said.

BMW expects growth in electrified request to accelerate, the German manufacturer’s U.K. unit said in a statement. BMW expects to sell more than 100,000 electrified vehicles worldwide this year, compared to 62,000 in 2016. From 2020, BMW will suggest a fully electrified option for each of its models.

“We see electrical powertrains as the future for our industry as evidenced by the fact that the BMW Group already offers the widest range of electrified vehicles with further electrified models soon to join the line-up,” the company said.

Daimler, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz, aims to generate inbetween 15% and 25% of its worldwide sales from battery-powered vehicles by 2025. The company also plans to suggest more than ten all-electric cars by 2022.

This article was updated on July twenty seven to include Daimler’s electrical vehicle plans.

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