Denmark Aims For 1 Million Electric Cars On Roads By 2030

Denmark is to finance 775,000 electric or hybrid cars for residents by 2030 under a new plan agreed with its parliament.

The deal reached by the Danish government and parliament on Friday is part of a broader goal of putting 1 million cars with low or no emissions on the country’s roads by 2030.

Only about 20,000 vehicles are currently in use in the country, out of a total of about 2.5 million.

The new plan is to see taxes and levies on fossil fuel-powered cars rising steadily, with taxes on new cars dependent upon their carbon dioxide emissions.

Emissions target

The previous system taxed cars based on their mileage.

Tax minister Morten Boedskov said the plan would make the average electric car “significantly cheaper” in the coming years, Reuters reported.

The plan is basd on recommendations from the Danish Climate Council intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 2 million tonnes.

The Danish government has set aside some 2.5 billion Danish crowns (£300m) to finance the plan, which is to be reviewed in 2025.

Banning the sale of diesel and petrol cars would breach current European Union rules, but Denmark’s move echoes calls by 11 EU member states to phase out fossil fuel cars across the bloc by 2030.

UK petrol ban

The UK also said last month it is to stop selling new diesel and petrol cars and vans from 2030, under a broader “green industrial revolution” plan intended to generate up to 250,000 jobs and combat climate change.

The plan also includes provisions around carbon capture and storage, low-carbon hydrogen generation, offshore wind and nuclear energy.

The UK government had previously said petrol and diesel vehicle sales would end in 2040, with the date brought forward to 2035 in February.

The government said the plan, reached after “extensive consultation with car manufacturers and sellers”, would permit  hybrid vehicle sales until 2035.

Uber said in September it plans to offer only electric vehicle rides in the US and Europe by 2030.