Chile to ban combustion motors by 2045

The government of Chile has adopted the national strategy for electromobility. In three stages between 2035 and 2045, different classes of vehicles are to be sold only with zero-emission propulsion.

As the government explains in a statement, one of the main goals of the strategy is for all light and medium vehicles sold, all public transport (buses, taxis and shared taxis) and heavy machinery sales to be emission-free by 2035. This will “directly benefit the quality of life of Chileans”.

In the communication, the government focuses on the targets for 2035, but the strategy states that from 2045 onwards, all new vehicles for long-distance passenger transport and land freight transport – i.e. long-distance buses and trucks – should also be emission-free. From 2040, agricultural machinery is also to be emission-free.

“This is a government policy that sets a roadmap for us to make progress in developing sustainable transport, with direct benefits for Chileans. It will also allow us to reduce our dependence on imported fossil fuels,” says Francisco López, Undersecretary of Energy. The Ministry of Energy is responsible for implementing the electromobility strategy and will update it every five years.

gob.cl (announcement), gob.cl (strategy as PDF, reference to 2045 on page 3)