Israel to ban import of gasoline, diesel cars by 2030

Israel is preparing for a gas- and diesel-free era during which transportation will run on natural gas or electricity.

By: TPS

Israel will ban the import of gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles beginning in 2030, Minister of Energy, Yuval Steinitz told a conference of the Israeli Institute of Energy and Environment (IIEE) Tuesday.

“We will ban the import of vehicles with gasoline or diesel engines from 2030. As a result we will lead healthier lives with less pollution,” Steinitz said. “Transport will run on natural gas or on electric vehicles powered through electricity generated from natural gas powered plants.”

Steinitz called on the local industry to begin preparing for the target date, and added that if Israel indeed meets the 2030 target, it would become one of the first countries in the world to take gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles off its roads.

Norway has set a 2025 target for all cars to be zero-emission vehicles, while India says it wants all vehicles sold in the country to be powered by electricity by 2030. Britain and France have both said they would ban sales of new gasoline and diesel cars starting in 2040.

While Norway leads the way toward a zero-emission future with around 40 percent of all cars sold in the country last year either electric or hybrid vehicles, Israel, according to a Knesset study submitted this week to the Science and Technology Committee, has been slow to adopt electric and hybrid technologies.