France aims for automakers to ditch petrol and diesel by 2040

Paris - French Environment Minister Nicolas Hulot says he has set the country's automakers of not selling petrol or diesel cars by 2040.

At a news conference unveiling a five-year plan to encourage clean energy and fulfill the country's commitments under the Paris climate accord, Hulot said France's car manufacturers have projects that "can fulfill that promise."

His hope comes a day after Sweden's Volvo became the first major automaker to pledge to abandon cars and SUVs powered solely by the internal combustion engine.

Hulot also said Thursday that France will stop producing power from coal-power stations — now 5 percent of the total — by 2022.

The country also wants to reduce the proportion of its power from nuclear to 50% 2025, from the current 75%.