Motoring industry hasn’t ever seen such a tectonic shift during its entire existence. The maddeningly accelerated pace of technological developments has ensured that the ‘conventional’ car makers are staring at the threat of going extinct if they don’t evolve. The future of the automobile is decidedly electric, and those who’re still clinging on to the ‘charm’ of the internal combustion engine may just find their place in a museum. Whoever doubts this eventuality, despite having heard words like ‘Tesla’, ‘Leaf’ and ‘Faraday Future’ should probably read about the latest happenings in the Netherlands to convince themselves.
The lower house of the Dutch parliament has voted in majority for a bill that proposes a ban on sales of new petrol and diesel powered cars starting 2025. While the motion has passed through only lower house of the Dutch Parliament, it shouldn’t face much trouble getting clearance through the senate either. Once that happens, the Netherlands will become the first major nation to entirely ban the sales of new passenger cars of a polluting nature – a baffling conundrum for automakers who aren’t equipped well enough electrically.
The motion was initially aimed at a complete ban on petrol and diesel cars, but was later modified to target a ban only on sales of new cars powered by fossil fuels. The cars which exist on the road will continue plying, though the country will target a total electrification of its passenger vehicles over the next decade.
Like any new law tabled for passage, this motion has its detractors too, with some sections calling it impractical and citing the conflict it creates with some parts of the country’s energy agreement. Another, stronger section, however, is of the view that the proposal is rational and can be implemented without any hiccups since the energy agreement ends in the year 2023.
Imagine a world where fuel pumps are replaced by power charging stations with ports to quick charge cars in a matter of minutes, provisioning for energy that allows them to travel merrily for another few hundred kilometres. Does that future look too far away for our own country?
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