Netherlands looks to ban all gas, diesel car sales by 2025

Netherlands is a progressive country when it comes to the environment. They are one of the first countries to look seriously at their plastic problem, they are big on renewable energy and they are looking at how to stop pollution and carbon emissions from gas and diesel powered vehicles.

The aim is to ban the sale of these vehicles and have them replaced by electric vehicles that get plugged in and recharged.  Netherlands already have a large amount of electric vehicles, although they are still slightly behind Norway.  But the figures are still low - 1.4 percent of vehicle sales in the Netherlands in 2013, were electric cards.

Netherlands already offer tax breaks to owners of electric powered vehicles and make it easier for them to find parking, just two of the incentives offered.  Politicians are going one step further, saying that by the year 2025 - 7 years from now - all vehicles that are not carbon emission free, should not be sold.

This is a huge project and may not be possible to implement so quickly.  Yes, 7 years is pretty quick when you consider the amount of cars in the Netherlands, and how much money is involved in the car manufacturing business.  But it does mean that the Dutch need to start looking at all the options and rethinking the way they manufacture and produce motor vehicles, and relook at the way they sell them.

The lower house of the Dutch parliament have already supported the motion but now Cabinet must come up with a decent plan to ensure implementation.  Implementation also means that efficient hybrids and plug-in hybrids will also be banned.  Cars will be to be totally carbon emission free.  On the other hand, hydrogen fuel cell cars will be allowed.