Japan could become the next country to announce plans to phase out non-electrified cars.
The Nikkei reported Thursday that Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is considering banning sales of cars powered solely by internal-combustion engines by the mid-2030s and will meet with industry figures this month to discuss the matter.
The report comes just weeks after the United Kingdom announced a similar ban for 2030. California Governor Gavin Newsom also signed an executive order in September aiming to end sales of gasoline-powered cars by 2035.
Japan is one of the biggest markets for new cars, with sales there registering at just over five million units in 2019. It's also one of the biggest producers and thus the ban is likely to play a role in determining just what type of cars will be available in the next decade.
Japan has a stated goal of becoming a zero-emission society by 2050. Emissions from cars in 2018 accounted for about 16% of the country's emissions, according to the Nikkei.
At present, the Japanese government is only urging the country's automakers to improve efficiency by 30% by 2030.
