France plans to ban all petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040 as a part of ambitious plan to achieve the goals in accordance with the Paris climate deal, ecology minister Nicolas Hulot said.

Mr Hulot said he recognised the target would put pressure on France's car manufacturers, but he said they currently had projects which “can fulfil that promise”, The Independent reported.

Peugeot, Citroen and Renault are the first three car companies in the list of the largest car manufacturers with the lowest carbon emissions in 2016, says the statement by the European Environment Agency (EEA).

In 2016 hybrid and electric cars made 3.6% of all new cars registered in Western Europe.