An area spanning approximately 20 city blocks between the financial center and the main commercial area of Stockholm will only be accessible to electric cars, certain types of hybrid vans and fuel cell vehicles, according to rules to be officially presented on October 11, as reported by the public television station SVT. A potential expansion of this area could be decided in the first half of 2025, as reported by Bloomberg.

Stockholm could become the first major capital to introduce such a restriction, and the local officials' plans in Sweden's capital go further than the initiatives of counterparts in Paris, Athens and Madrid, which have only banned diesel cars. Other cities, including London, have introduced low emission zones that include daily fees for older combustion engine vehicles entering the city center.

"We want to create a better living environment for people who live and work here", said local councilor Lars Stromgren, responsible for traffic policies, to SVT.

However, it remains to be seen if this plan will boost electric car sales in Sweden. Currently, electric car sales in Sweden are facing a tough period as consumers feel the effects of the cost of living crisis. At the beginning of this year, Mobility Sweden revised its projections downward for new electric car registrations in 2023, reducing the estimate to 35% of the total registrations, from the previous percentage of 40%.

At the same time, Brussels banned non-essential and non-local car traffic on ten major streets in the city center in December. In August, London introduced one of the most ambitious vehicle emissions policies by expanding its ultra-low emission zone.

In Norway, a country renowned for its significant electric car sales, the Oslo municipality proposed the implementation of a zero-emission zone in the city center earlier this year. This initiative, scheduled to roll out in 2025, represents the initial phase of the program, primarily focusing on heavy-duty transport and trucks, with plans to extend it to include cars from 2027 onwards.