If the green transport senator and top candidate has his way, hundreds of thousands of Berlin drivers will no longer be allowed to use their vehicles in the city center by 2030 at the latest. Because then only electric cars and trucks would be allowed.
The green top candidate Bettina Jarasch made this announcement in a conversation with the RBB – and with it the ban on petrol and diesel engines a central campaign issue. Accordingly, by 2030 at the latest, only electric cars should be allowed in downtown Berlin. Jarasch did not explain which districts should be banned for combustion engines in the future.
Jarasch said on the planned ban that “people should know that before they buy their next car. Climate protection is a central project of a future Senate with the participation of the Greens. Regarding the coalition question, the politician said that she wanted to continue the alliance with the SPD and the left , but under her leadership”, reports the “Berliner Zeitung”. New elections are held in Berlin: The elections for the Berlin House of Representatives and for the district assemblies are repeated on February 12, because the last elections were chaotic and there were numerous mishaps.
How many vehicles would be affected by Jarasch’s plan cannot of course be said seven years before the required ban. According to the Federal Statistical Office, fewer than 17,000 electric cars were registered in Berlin at the beginning of 2022. This number will increase sharply by 2030, assuming that electric cars currently account for 15 percent of new car registrations and that this continues to increase. However, it can be assumed that in 2030 the vast majority will still be non-electric: According to Statista, 1.24 million cars were registered in Berlin in March 2022. Most Berliners who will not be able to afford an electric car in the next seven years will then only be able to get to the city center by bike or by public transport.
The Green Environment and Transport Senator has already made a name for herself with numerous measures to reduce car traffic, including the partial closure of Friedrichstrasse. “A part of Berlin’s Friedrichstrasse is permanently closed to cars. According to the Senate Department for Environment and Mobility, walking speed applies to cyclists and e-scooters on the 500-meter-long section between Leipziger Strasse and Französische Strasse,” according to the “Berliner Zeitung”.
Paris and other cities that have set up car-free inner cities or only want to allow electric vehicles because they do not produce any pollutants or CO2, at least while driving, are a model for Berlin’s transport policy. From 2035, petrol, diesel and all hybrid vehicles will also be banned across the EU – however, this will only apply to new registrations and not, as planned in Berlin, to all cars already purchased.
On our e-mobility portal EFAHRER.com you will find all e-vehicles available on the German market
You can also arrange a test drive for the car of your choice free of charge and thus start e-mobility in an uncomplicated manner.
