Will combustion engines be illegal?

No—combustion engines are not becoming universally illegal. As of 2025, most policies target the sale of new gasoline and diesel vehicles in future years (primarily 2030–2035), not the ownership or use of existing cars. Rules vary widely by country and even by city, and many include carve-outs such as allowances for e-fuels, hybrids, or niche volumes. In short, new sales face phased restrictions in some places, but existing internal-combustion vehicles will remain road-legal for the foreseeable future, subject to local low-emission zones and air-quality rules.

What “illegal” could actually mean

When people ask whether combustion engines will be “illegal,” they often mix up different kinds of policy actions. The distinction matters because most measures do not criminalize owning or driving internal-combustion-engine (ICE) vehicles.

• Sale bans or phaseouts: Deadlines after which the sale or registration of new ICE cars is restricted or prohibited.
• Use restrictions: Low- and zero-emission zones in cities that limit where and when certain vehicles can operate.
• Fuel standards: Requirements that change what fuels can be sold (e.g., higher blends, sustainable aviation fuel mandates) without banning engines outright.
• Corporate or fleet mandates: Rules that require a share (or all) of new fleet purchases to be zero-emission by specific dates.
• Technology carve-outs: Exceptions for engines running on certified carbon-neutral e-fuels, or allowances for hybrids in certain windows.

Taken together, these approaches raise the bar for new ICE sales over time and restrict ICE operation in specific places, but they do not amount to a blanket prohibition on owning combustion vehicles.

The global policy landscape in 2025

Below is a snapshot of how major markets are approaching the transition, with a focus on light-duty vehicles (passenger cars and small vans).

• European Union: Adopted a 2035 zero-CO2 standard for new cars and vans. A pathway exists to register new vehicles after 2035 that run exclusively on certified carbon-neutral e-fuels. Cities across Europe are expanding low-emission and zero-emission zones.
• United Kingdom: New ZEV sales mandate in force; targets tighten annually to reach 100% zero-emission car sales by 2035 (policy was pushed back from 2030). Some niche and specialist exemptions apply.
• United States (federal): No national ban. EPA tailpipe rules for 2027–2032 tighten fleet-average CO2 and pollutant limits, pushing significant EV uptake but not mandating EVs. State-level rules vary.
• United States (states): California’s Advanced Clean Cars II requires 100% ZEV new car sales by 2035, with step-ups through the 2020s. More than a dozen states have adopted similar rules, covering a substantial share of the U.S. market; others are reconsidering or contesting them.
• Canada: National ZEV mandate requires 20% of new light-duty sales to be ZEVs by 2026, 60% by 2030, and 100% by 2035.
• China: No outright ICE ban date, but powerful “dual-credit” and industrial policies have made EVs a large and growing share of the market. Several cities retain license-plate or congestion policies that indirectly favor EVs.
• Japan: Target for 100% “electrified” vehicles by the mid-2030s includes hybrids, so it is not an ICE ban.
• Other markets: Norway targets near-100% zero-emission new car sales and is already close; several European countries have national targets between 2030 and 2035. Policies in emerging markets vary, generally emphasizing fuel economy and localization of EV manufacturing over bans.

In practice, these measures phase out new ICE sales in several regions by the mid-2030s, while leaving existing vehicles legal and in use for many years afterward.

How the EU’s 2035 rule works

The European Union’s landmark regulation requires new cars and vans registered from 2035 onward to meet a zero-CO2 standard at the tailpipe. Following negotiations, the EU created an avenue for new vehicles that run exclusively on certified carbon-neutral e-fuels to be registered after 2035, provided they include technical measures preventing operation on conventional fossil fuels. This does not affect the legality of existing ICE vehicles already on the road, which can continue to operate, subject to local city restrictions and fuel availability.

The U.S. picture: federal vs. states

At the federal level, the EPA’s finalized 2027–2032 emissions standards tighten fleet averages but do not ban ICE engines; automakers can comply via a mix of efficiency improvements, hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and battery-electric vehicles. California, by contrast, mandates a rising share of ZEV sales to reach 100% by 2035, and many states have opted into its program. Enforcement timelines and adoption can shift with court rulings and elections, but there is no nationwide prohibition on owning or operating ICE vehicles.

Heavy-duty vehicles, buses, aviation, and shipping

Beyond passenger cars, policymakers are also tightening standards for trucks, buses, planes, and ships—sectors that rely heavily on combustion technology.

• EU trucks and buses: New CO2 targets for heavy-duty vehicles cut emissions 45% by 2030, 65% by 2035, and 90% by 2040 (vs. 2019). Urban buses face a 100% zero-emission sales requirement by 2035, with steep interim targets by 2030.
• U.S. trucks: California’s Advanced Clean Fleets aims to transition many truck categories to zero emissions over time, though portions of the rule are subject to legal and federal waiver processes. EPA is also tightening heavy-duty emissions standards nationally.
• Aviation: No bans on jet engines. Regulators are advancing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) mandates and carbon offset schemes (e.g., ICAO’s CORSIA) to cut lifecycle emissions from combustion, not eliminate the engines.
• Shipping: The IMO and EU have adopted measures to curb lifecycle emissions and incentivize cleaner fuels and propulsion, including shore power and alternative fuels; combustion remains prevalent in the near term.

These sectors will likely use combustion for longer, with cleaner fuels, hybridization, and efficiency gains playing prominent roles this decade and next.

Cities and low-emission zones

Local air-quality policy is where drivers may feel restrictions first, especially in Europe.

• London’s expanded Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) charges higher-emitting vehicles; similar schemes operate in dozens of U.K. and EU cities.
• Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, and others plan increasingly stringent low- or zero-emission zones, with some aiming to restrict diesel cars this decade and most ICE cars around 2030–2035.
• Implementation timelines can shift due to politics, court rulings, or infrastructure readiness, and exemptions often exist for residents, commercial fleets, or special cases.

These are location-specific rules on where ICE vehicles can drive, not blanket bans on owning them.

What it means for consumers and owners

If you own a combustion car today in jurisdictions with future phaseout dates, you will typically be able to keep, sell, and drive it for years—subject to routine safety, emissions inspections, and local access rules. Fuel availability is expected to remain for the vehicle lifetime; in some places, cleaner fuel blends will expand. The main changes will be found in new-car showrooms, where electric and plug-in hybrid models will increasingly dominate offerings, and in cities, where access rules can become stricter over time.

Uncertainties to watch

Policy timelines can move with elections, court decisions, technology costs, and energy prices. Hybrids and plug-in hybrids are likely to play bridging roles longer in some markets. Interest in synthetic e-fuels remains focused on niches, motorsports, classic cars, and potentially some new vehicles where rules allow, but costs and scale are unresolved. Grid buildout, charging infrastructure, and domestic manufacturing policies will also shape how fast the transition proceeds.

Bottom line

No global law is set to make combustion engines categorically illegal. Instead, a growing number of governments are setting deadlines to stop the sale of new gasoline and diesel cars—mostly around 2030–2035—while permitting existing vehicles to operate and be traded on the used market. Local access rules and sector-specific standards add complexity but do not amount to an outright ban on owning combustion engines.

Summary

Combustion engines are not being universally outlawed. Many regions plan to phase out new ICE car sales by the mid-2030s, with exceptions for e-fuels and special cases, while existing vehicles remain legal to own and drive. City low-emission zones and sector-specific standards will tighten where and how ICE vehicles operate, but there is no blanket prohibition on combustion engines themselves.

Can you still drive gas cars after 2035?

Can I still drive my gasoline car after 2035? Yes. Even after 2035, gasoline cars can still be driven in California, registered with the California Department of Motor Vehicles, and sold as a used car to a new owner.

How many states are banning combustion engines?

Seventeen states have historically followed California’s regulations, but so far only Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington have announced they’ll enforce the Advanced Clean Cars II rule and prohibit the sale of new gasoline-powered …

Are combustion engines going to be banned?

All new vehicles to run on cleaner energy (electric, hybrid, hydrogen fuel cell) from 2030, phase-out of internal combustion engines (from the entire population of motor vehicles) completed by 2040. Government Climate plan announced by the Environmental Protection Administration.

Will gas cars be banned in 2050?

Given all the constraints, experts expect gas cars and trucks to be available until at least 2050, though a handful of states will phase them out as soon as 2035. To date, those states include California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Washington.