Spain to Ban Sales of Combustion Vehicles From 2040 On

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's administration Tuesday approved a bill that prohibits the sale of internal combustion engine vehicles from 2040. These cars will not circulate by 2050.

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The Climate Change and Energy Transition (CCET) Bill seeks to boost the use of electric cars and renewable energies to achieve "zero" carbon dioxide emissions in 2050.

One of the project’s main objectives, which must be approved in Parliament, is that new vehicles sold in Spain have emissions of zero grams of CO2 per kilometer no later than 2040.

Electric recharging points will be gradually installed in service stations with the highest sales volume. Besides, the Spanish government will encourage the use of bicycles.

The CCET bill, which is in line with international commitments to combat climate change such as the Paris Agreement, seeks that at least 70 percent of electricity must be generated from renewable sources by 2030. 

According to government calculations, the ecological transition will attract over 200,000 million euros of investment in the next ten years and will generate between 250,000 and 350,000 net annual jobs.

With the entry into force of the law, the hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") for gas extraction will end and new authorizations for exploration, investigation, or exploitation of hydrocarbons will no longer be granted throughout the national territory.​​​​​​​