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

By Kevin Armstrong
Countries around the world are phasing out gas vehicles in favor of EVs
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
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 Is Now Offering Cybertruck Test Drives [List of Locations]

By Karan Singh
@brandonhd

Tesla has begun to reach out to customers in the United States and is offering demo drives of the Cybertruck on an invite-only basis. @brandonhd on X shared the first invite image, and it looks like it's going out quite quickly to multiple locations that have Cybertrucks on display.

Up until now, display vehicles have been for just that – looking, but no touching. Some Tesla delivery centers and showrooms have also allowed viewers to take a seat inside and open it up, but most are still locked away behind the velvet rope.

It’s exciting to see that Tesla has begun to demo them – and it can only be so long until demo drives open up to everyone.

Advisor-led Demo

This Demo Drive is led by a Tesla Advisor – while you’re driving, the advisor will be in the passenger seat, walking you through the experience. They’ll explain steer-by-wire, off-road controls, and will introduce new-to-Tesla buyers to all the features that are currently available.

Once FSD V12.5 comes to the Cybertruck, we’re sure they’ll be demoing its capabilities FSD capabilities as well.

Locations

The list of locations so far for demo drives appears to be fairly limited, but we will hopefully see demo drives roll out throughout the United States, and eventually Canada too. Here is the current list of city/state locations that have seen demo drive invites.

  • Manhasset, New York

  • West Covina, California

  • Los Angeles, California

  • Houston, Texas

  • Orlando, Florida

  • Westmont, Illinois

  • Tucson, Arizona

  • Phoenix, Arizona

  • Delaware

Musk Confirms 'Actually Smart Summon' is Coming in a Revision of FSD V12.5

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

Actually Smart Summon, the successor to Tesla’s Smart Summon feature, has been confirmed to be coming as soon as next month as per Elon Musk. Colloquially known as “ASS”, Actually Smart Summon is supposed to improve on the regular Smart Summon capabilities, which have historically used ultrasonic sensors (USS) to navigate parking lots.

We’re looking forward to Actually Smart Summon, and we’re quite excited about what other features will be unlocked once it finally shows up at our doorstep.

Vision-based Improvements

ASS is supposed to bring Smart Summon to vehicles that don’t have USS – using Tesla Vision. Most recently, Tesla has brought Autopark to vehicles without USS, and Vision-based Autopark has been a huge success. It is faster, more reliable, and smoother than the older USS-based solution. It can also park and maneuver in tighter locations.

Just recently, Tesla returned the Model X’s self-presenting doors, using Tesla Vision. Vision has seen some fantastic improvements, and many people are waiting for ASS to bring forth these improvements to Smart Summon.

Smart Summon Today

Today, Smart Summon is sometimes useful at best, usually a party trick, or downright dangerous at worst. It’s excellent and best used in straight lines, where you have a clear line of sight of the vehicle, and can stop it if doesn’t see an obstacle.

I used Smart Summon today, just before writing this article – my 2022 Model Y (with USS) – did manage to show up just fine – in a straight-line location from where I was parked, after exiting the parking spot fairly cleanly. However, I’ve previously used Smart Summon and have had the vehicle turn towards obstacles, such as cart returns or curbs. Overall, it’s a sometimes-useful feature that has a lot of drawbacks right now.

Smart Summon is also restricted to a certain distance – and it's pretty small. The max distance is shorter than most parking lots, being only about 215 ft (65m). If you’re lucky enough to park close, it's very useful to bring your car right to you.

Actually Smart Summon

ASS will bring FSD V12-like capabilities to Smart Summon – the vehicle will primarily use Vision to drive toward you (or the location you’ve indicated). ASS has been supposed to be coming since about September 2022 and has seen many delays – we’re almost at the 2-year point today.

We’re looking forward to Actually Smart Summon being able to bring the vehicle – safely – right to you. ASS is also one of the key steps towards bringing some other cool features that Elon Musk has previously mentioned – Park Seek and Banish Autopark.

We’re also hopeful that Actually Smart Summon will increase the maximum range a vehicle can be summoned, because the current range is fairly small. Alongside Park Seek and Banish Autopark, we’re closing in on a Robotaxi-based future.

Park Seek and Banish Autopark

When the FSD v12.4 showed up, Elon also mentioned that going forward, vehicles would automatically park themselves when arriving in a parking lot – Park Seek – and that if you got out of the car at the entrance to a business, you could get it to automatically park itself in the parking lot – Banish Autopark. These are two features that are needed for Robotaxi to work – which itself is delayed to October 10th of this year. We’re looking quite forward to them – as in combination with Actually Smart Summon, Tesla has reached the cusp of vehicle autonomy.

A vehicle that arrives, driverless, at the location you’re at, then drives somewhere, parks itself there, and waits for you – is the definition of a Robotaxi.

While we’re likely to have to wait for Banish Autopark and Park Seek just a bit longer, Actually Smart Summon being around the corner is exciting! Gone will be the days of having to run out to your car when you forgot your umbrella – your car will just come right to you instead.

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