Tesla Leads As 25% of Countries Commit to Phasing Out Gas Vehicles: A Look at Each Country's Commitment

September 30, 2023

By Kevin Armstrong

Countries around the world are phasing out gas vehicles in favor of EVs

Statista

Nearly 25 percent of countries have announced plans for phasing out gas-powered vehicles. This international shift towards EVs is advantageous for Tesla, which continues to lead the electric car revolution. As countries enforce stricter emission standards and incentivize the adoption of EVs, Elon Musk and the Tesla team, who almost went broke 15 years ago, will continue to be in demand, setting the bar for a future of sustainable transportation.

United States Phase Out

The U.S., with California setting the ambitious goal of phasing out sales of new combustion engine vehicles by 2035. Several states, including Washington, Oregon, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Vermont, and Delaware, align their vehicle standards with California, solidifying the nation's commitment to cleaner air and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

Global Commitment

Not to be left behind, Canada is also championing the transition to EVs. However, the nation favours hybrids in its phase-out strategy, aiming for 2035.

Crossing the Atlantic, the European Union approved a law to ban combustion engine car sales in all member states by 2035. Despite some initial resistance from Germany and Italy, all 27 member states eventually backed the proposal, marking a significant step in reducing CO2 emissions across Europe. Countries like the Netherlands, Belgium's Flanders region, Sweden, Greece, and Slovenia are even more ambitious, targeting the end of gas-powered car sales between 2029 and 2030.

Countries around the world are phasing out gas vehicles in favor of EVs

Tesla

Norway is an electric mobility pioneer, with approximately 80 percent of new cars sold being fully electric. The country aims for 100 percent of new cars to be electric by 2025, showcasing a commitment that outshines many others.

Countries like China, Japan, and Singapore have proposed bans or are implementing 100% sales of zero-emission vehicles in Asia. Despite being one of the largest car markets, China, alongside Hong Kong and Macau, is steadfast in its commitment to phase out gas-powered vehicles, setting an example for the region.

Sri Lanka and Cape Verde are setting challenging goals. Sri Lanka aims for a full road ban for combustion engine cars, tuk-tuks, and motorcycles by 2040. Despite being a smaller country, Cape Verde internally set the goal to ban the sale of new combustion engine cars by 2035.

International Agreements

The global commitment to a cleaner, sustainable future was highlighted at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, where multiple governments and companies signed the Glasgow Declaration, aiming for 100% zero-emission cars and vans by 2035 in leading markets and by 2040 globally.

In the wake of these global transitions, Tesla stands to gain substantially. The company's innovative technology, expanding production capabilities, and growing global presence position it perfectly to meet the rising demand for EVs. Tesla's diverse range of electric vehicles, from luxury to more affordable models, caters to a broad spectrum of consumers, ensuring its continued market dominance.

Infrastructure Advancement

The phase-out of gas-powered vehicles necessitates advancements in EV infrastructure. Tesla's ongoing investments in supercharging stations and battery technology place the company at the forefront of addressing the infrastructural challenges of widespread EV adoption. It recently turned on its 50,000 supercharger and opened the stations to allow non-Tesla to charge. Plus, the company opened up the patent for the North American Charging Standard, allowing other companies to use its advanced technology to further the ability to power up EVs.

The global shift towards electric vehicles is not just a trend but a commitment to a sustainable future. With countries worldwide, from the U.S. and Canada to Norway and Sri Lanka, phasing out gas-powered cars, Tesla's innovative approach and market readiness position it as a critical player in this electric revolution.

Here is a detailed breakdown of the commitments countries have made to a sustainable transportation future:

United States has an Executive Order mandating all new light-duty vehicles added to the government fleet to be 100% zero emissions by 2027, with the entire fleet of government-owned vehicles with ICE engines to be phased out and replaced with all-electric cars by 2035-2040.

The United Kingdom has a government plan to stop new non-electric and hybrid car sales by 2035 and new CO2-emitting lorry and bus sales by 2040.

Canada aims to phase out new light-duty vehicle sales of diesel, petrol, and non-electric cars by 2035 and aims for all light-duty vehicles to be electric by 2050.

Belgium plans to end tax deductions for diesel and petrol employee company cars by 2026 and stop new car and van sales in the Flanders region that run on these fuels by 2029.

Chile and the People's Republic of China are targeting 2035 to cease new vehicle sales of diesel and petrol cars.

Costa Rica has proposed to stop new light vehicle sales of diesel and petrol cars by 2050.

Denmark intends to halt new diesel and petrol vehicle sales by 2030, allowing hybrid vehicles until 2035.

Egypt has a government plan to cease new car sales of diesel, petrol, and non-electric vehicles by 2040.

According to a Bundesrat decision, Germany aims to stop new car sales of emitting vehicles by 2030.

Greece plans to halt new vehicle sales of emitting and non-electric cars by 2030.

Hong Kong (PRC) and Macau (PRC) aim to stop new private vehicle sales and registration of diesel and petrol cars by 2035.

Iceland is targeting 2030 to end the sale of new cars and vehicles that run exclusively on diesel or petrol, with some regional exceptions.

As a signatory of the Glasgow Declaration, India plans to halt new vehicle sales of petrol and diesel cars by 2040.

Indonesia has proposed to cease all motorcycle sales by 2040 and all car sales of diesel and petrol vehicles by 2050.

Israel aims to stop new car sales and imports of emitting, non-electric vehicles by 2030, although the citation is needed for confirmation.

Italy intends to stop new private vehicle sales by 2035 and recent commercial vehicle sales of emitting vehicles by 2040.

Japan plans to cease sales of new diesel- and petrol-only cars by 2035, with diesel and petrol-hybrid cars continuing to be sold indefinitely.

The Republic of Korea aims to halt new vehicle sales of petrol and diesel cars by 2035.

Malaysia plans to stop new vehicle sales emitting vehicles by 2050 as part of the Malaysia Net-Zero Emission by 2050 initiative.

The Netherlands is targeting 2030 to cease new passenger car sales of diesel and petrol vehicles, with commercial vehicles continuing to use these fuels until 2040.

Norway plans to stop all new passenger car sales of diesel and petrol vehicles by 2025, with commercial vehicles following suit by 2035.

Portugal has a government climate plan to stop new car sales of diesel and petrol vehicles by 2035.

Singapore has a phased plan starting in 2023, targeting zero tailpipe emission public sector vehicles by 2023, ceasing sales and registration of diesel-only cars and taxis by 2025, and implementing a complete phase-out of internal combustion engines by 2040.

Slovenia aims for new car registrations to have emissions below 50 g/km by 2031, allowing diesel and petrol if they meet this criterion.

Sweden has a coalition agreement to stop new car sales of diesel and petrol vehicles by 2030.

Taiwan plans a phased approach, stopping all bus and government-owned car use of diesel and petrol by 2030, all motorcycle sales by 2035, and all car sales by 2040.

Thailand has proposals to stop new car sales and registrations of diesel and petrol vehicles by 2035, although these are not yet effective.

Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Croatia, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Finland, Ghana, The Holy See, Ireland, Kenya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Paraguay, Poland, Rwanda, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine, and Uruguay have all signed the Glasgow Declaration, committing to stop the sales of new emitting vehicles by 2040.

Tesla Expected to Offer FSD Transfers in Europe

July 15, 2025

By Karan Singh

Not a Tesla App

It has been a long wait for FSD for European customers, many of whom paid for the feature years ago on now legacy hardware. While the FSD transfer program has come and gone multiple times, there’s something to be said about having it available in North America, where it can be used, and in Europe or other countries, where it still just remains the same as Enhanced Autopilot (differences between Autopilot, EAP, and FSD).

FSD Transfer is a nice goodwill gesture from Tesla that in theory doesn’t cost them anything. Instead, it keeps customers, especially those who have been waiting for years, loyal and happy. It also incentivizes them to upgrade to a newer Tesla with HW4, where FSD will hopefully be achieved.

In a reply to a post on X, Elon agreed with the suggestion that offering FSD transfers in Europe would be a fair solution for those who have already purchased FSD but can’t use its capabilities.

Sounds fair
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 13, 2025

A Fair Solution

FSD Transfer directly addresses a growing concern for many long-term European Tesla owners. Thousands of customers purchased the full package, often many years ago, with the expectation that FSD would eventually be capable and approved for use. However, the reality is that FSD, even as an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS), continues to be pushed back in Europe.

As the regulatory process continues at a snail's pace, many of these early supporters are now reaching or have already passed the point where they’re ready to upgrade to a new Tesla.

Without the transfer program, it's a difficult choice: either throw away your original investment in FSD and pay for the package a second time (FSD price history), or subscribe to it in the future.

Offering FSD transfers is a good way for Tesla to meet them halfway. It's a difficult situation, and one that’s being hindered by processes beyond the control of both the customer and Tesla. However, a transfer helps both parties. Tesla sells another vehicle, and the customer gets to keep FSD.

When Will it Be Available?

Based on how FSD transfers have worked in the past following Elon’s announcements, this feature is likely to become available for a limited time period in the coming days or weeks. If it happens, we should expect an announcement from Tesla Europe on X and emails being sent out to Tesla customers.

Once the program is in place, all you need to do is complete your vehicle purchase and then inform your Tesla sales advisor that you’d like to transfer FSD. You don’t even have to sell or trade in your old Tesla; FSD will simply be removed from it as a feature.

Hopefully, Tesla enables FSD Transfers for everyone, regardless of region. It should be an ongoing offer until at least FSD is approved in the given country or region.

Tesla Increases Robotaxi Fare Fee, Up from $4.20

July 15, 2025

By Karan Singh

Not a Tesla App

The introductory price for Tesla’s Robotaxi Network has finally been updated. In a post on X, Elon Musk confirmed that the new fare would be rolling out to complement the new Robotaxi geofence expansion.

This change marks the first adjustment to Tesla’s fares since the initial $4.20 launch price 23 days ago. While the price increase may seem significant in terms of percentages, when compared to other options in the ride-hailing area, it is still drastically cheaper.

But the price is now a princely $6.90, as foretold in the prophecy 😂
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 14, 2025

Context Matters

Robotaxi currently operates on a simple, flat-rate model. The new $6.90 fare gets you a ride to anywhere within the recently expanded geofence.

So far, this is the opposite approach compared to other services, such as Waymo or traditional ride-sharing options like Uber and Lyft. All these services use dynamic pricing based on distance, time of day, and demand. A comparable trip on any one of these services could cost anywhere from $30 to $65, and potentially even higher during peak hours.

That doesn’t even include the tip fees for human drivers either - another win for Robotaxi (can you tip a Robotaxi?).

Even with the adjustment, the flat $6.90 fare remains less than half the price of a typical competing ride, making Robotaxi the most affordable point-to-point transportation option in Austin, aside from mass transit, for now.

A “Maturing” Service

The price change, moving from one meme-worthy number to another, is a sign that Robotaxi is finally graduating from its initial pilot phase. Following the first major expansion of the service area, this adjustment is a logical next step towards finding a more sustainable flat price.

While the new fare is a 65% increase over the old fare, the key takeaway is that it is still far cheaper than other options, and still just as meme-worthy. Tesla is aiming to have its early access riders complete as many rides as possible during these early months, and this pricing is still very reflective of that.