China has indicated it wants to ban new petrol and diesel engines in a move that follows France and the UK.
With China making and buying more cars than any other country in the world, this move could have an effect on the global auto manufacturing sector.
Industry analyst Professor Gary Glazebrook said: “The message would be out there, and all the other manufactures in the world that want to sell in China desperately will realise that the writing is on the wall.”
“[Petrol engine manufacturers] will essentially be crowded out or legislated out of the market unless they switch to electric cars,” he said.
Professor Glazebrook said he thinks China will be able to implement the ban long before the European markets.
“Well, the cars that are now on the market do have enough range and battery technology has been improving and getting cheaper, so we’ve reached that tipping point I think,” he said.
“To completely ban the sale of other than electric cars, I can see that they could do that with in perhaps 15 to 20 years.”
The ban is not bad news for Australia, as the body representing Australian car parts manufactures said the move could result in a revival of local car manufacturing the ABC reported.
Federation of Automotive Parts Manufacturers executive director Geoff Gwilym said: “I think we could enter an age where we manufacture cars again, because it becomes a simplified process to some degree.”