Internal combustion engine and diesel bans
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Vehicle bans can be linked to the type of fuel used (diesel, gasoline, etc.), the type of engine, the type of vehicle (light-duty, heavy-duty) or the age of the vehicle. A ban can be applied to the sale or use of vehicles (for driving or parking) or the sale of fuel based on these categories for a defined region or for certain times of the day or days of the week.
It is recommended to prepare legislation and enforcement mechanisms to ensure that bans are followed. The timing and coverage of the ban should be well defined and integrated within the context of existing policies. It is best to use a gradual trajectory that advances towards the ban of all internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles over the course of five to ten years. The details of the ban and its enforcement should be announced early enough for the industry to prepare its stocks and invest further in zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) technologies.
If the goal is to have a carbon-neutral transport sector by 2050, ICE vehicles should be banned by 2035, since passenger vehicles are usually in use for at least 15 years.
Bans on diesel and ICE vehicles tend to increase the use of cleaner fuel alternatives and/or generate modal shifts away from private cars and towards public transport, walking and/or biking. All of these trends will decrease CO2 emissions. Diesel bans will also decrease pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, nitrogen oxides, PM2.5 and PM10, which have serious health implications.
However, a diesel-specific ban can cause users to switch to petrol cars.
The enforcement of the ban and type of ban will influence the degree of change in CO2 emissions. A study on Dublin showed that a diesel vehicle ban would reduce CO2 emissions by 371 657 tonnes between 2018 and 2024. In Medellin, there was no significant change in emissions during a restricted circulation ban on ICE vehicles in 2017.
The main cost associated with a vehicle or fuel ban is that needed to enforce the ban. A ban in itself will not generate money apart from potential fines. However, the decrease in pollution that results from the ban can have a quantifiable impact on health care costs. A report commissioned by the European Public Health Alliance estimated the cost of pollution from road traffic in 2016 to be EUR 66.7 billion in health damages for EU-28, with 83% of the cost coming from the pollution of diesel vehicles. A study in Lebanon showed that a ban on diesel vehicles led to significantly fewer cases of asthma and upper respiratory tract infection in hospitals over the span of two years. Bans on ICE vehicles will also reduce congestion, which can lead to greater productivity and economic growth.
Additionally, bans can be accompanied by a diesel excise or tax incentives for drivers to scrap their ICE vehicle or buy a low- or zero-emission vehicle, which add to costs/earnings.
Banning ICE vehicles can push drivers to use public transport or to walk or bike. This will reduce congestion and air pollution, particularly in urban areas, improving the health of residents and their safety.
Banning older vehicles can decrease the number of road fatalities due to technical failures.
Creating strict bans can create disproportionate burdens on vulnerable segments of the population. Financial incentives or alternative transport options should be considered to minimise this risk. This can include tax breaks on purchases of clean-fuel vehicles or improvements in fleet size and accessibility of the public transport system. Banning only the purchase of new ICE vehicles is another option.
ITF (2021) Transport Climate Action Directory – Internal combustion engine and diesel bans
https://www.itf-oecd.org/policy/internal-combustion-engine-and-diesel-bans
CE Delft (2018) Health impacts and costs of diesel emissions in the EU, https://epha.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/embargoed-until-27-november-00-01-am-cet-time-ce-delft-4r30-health-impacts-costs-diesel-emissions-eu-def.pdf
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The Local (2019) Old diesel cars banned from Paris from July 1st, https://www.thelocal.fr/20190701/old-diesel-cars-to-be-banned-from-paris-from-july-1st
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