France followed two other European countries—Norway and the Netherlands—with a plan to ban the sale of new cars powered by gasoline and diesel by 2040.

While the country will stick to the 2040 timeline, France's capital city of Paris announced a more aggressive timeline.

Ten years ahead of the country as a whole, Paris will phase out cars powered by internal combustion engines by 2030.

DON'T MISS: France plans to ban all gasoline, diesel vehicles by 2040

The aggressive timeline follows a host of additional measures Paris has taken to curb emissions and greenhouse gas production.

Paris' City Hall released a statement commending France for its 2040 timeline but said quicker action must occur in larger cities, according to Reuters.

“Transport is one of the main greenhouse gas producers... so we are planning an exit from combustion engine vehicles, or fossil-energy vehicles, by 2030,” Christophe Najdovski, an official responsible for transport policy at the mayor's office, said.

Eiffel Tower in Paris, France (photo by Rijin, via Wikimedia Commons)

Eiffel Tower in Paris, France (photo by Rijin, via Wikimedia Commons)

However, Paris City Hall carefully avoided the word "ban" in the announcement and instead branded the timeline as a feasible phase-out period.

The city of Paris has already imposed car-free zones, car-free days, and fines for drivers who enter the capital city with a vehicle more than 20 years old.

As a whole, France will provide financial assistance to buyers, which will allow them to trade in older cars with combustion engines for newer, zero-emission vehicles.

READ THIS: China electric-car rules to start in 2019; aggressive totals are world's highest

The country's strategy follows newly elected French president Emmanuel Macron vision to make France carbon-neutral by 2050.

Despite the associated carbon footprint with electric cars—charging electric cars still requires fossil fuels—the overall amount of carbon production associated with electric cars is a fraction of the carbon dioxide and other gases diesel or gasoline cars emit.

Although it may seem incredibly difficult for North Americans to imagine such a ban, many Parisians do not own a car.

 

Ford Mustang in France

Ford Mustang in France

The city boasts a variety of public transportation options and new networks of bikes and scooters have become quite popular in recent years.

California could, and will likely, lead the internal-combustion engine's decline in the U.S.

CHECK OUT: Bill could ban gasoline-car sales in California by 2040

California state Assemblyman Phil Ting plans to introduce a new bill to ban fossil-fuel-powered cars by 2040.

Ting will introduce the bill in January of 2018, and should it pass, the ban would be the first of its kind in North America.

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