Amsterdam to ban combustion engines

Amsterdam has long been famous for allowing people to smoke things that are illegal in most other cities. Now it’s going to be famous for making it illegal to burn things that are legal in most other cities.

And the fear is more cities will join in Amsterdam’s decision to ban all petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030 onwards.

The capital of The Netherlands, home to 1.4 million people (mostly tall and blonde-haired and almost all of whom support Max Verstappen), will spend the next decade developing the infrastructure to make the city’s streets EV- and FCEV-capable. It already has 3000 electric-car charging points and plans to add another 20,000 by 2025.

It plans to allow only hydrogen or electric buses and coaches into the centre of the city by 2022, while cars old enough to not comply with EU6 or EU7 emissions rules will be phased out, too.

“For Amsterdam, it is a health issue, with climate goals as a direct counterpart,” Amsterdam deputy mayor Sharon Dijksma said.

“We are pursuing clean air for everyone in Amsterdam by making traffic emissions-free and reducing emissions from other sources.”

The city already has five low-emission zones, where only ultra-low emission vehicles are permitted, and these will stretch out over time.

It’s not the first European city to take action against what remain legally sold new cars. Three years ago, Paris, Madrid and Athens all pledged to ban diesels by 2025, while London is notable for its strict emissions standards for its central streets.

There are bans in place in parts of German cities like Dusseldorf, Hamburg and Stuttgart after lengthy court battles over diesel NOx emissions, too.

The key, Dijksma said, was a healthy transition to a used-car market for zero-emission vehicles.

“We need cheap zero emission cars and also a second-hand market by the year 2025,” she said.

“We need a lot of things at the same time, but I am optimistic because I think there is the political will to succeed and there is also a societal will to succeed.”