Electric future? Global push to move away from gas-powered cars

Business and political leaders commit to make more vehicles emissions-free - and plan to bypass US government to do so

Political and business leaders gathering in San Francisco for a major climate change summit have committed to moving towards what was once a fantastical thought - the demise of the internal combustion engine in cars, trucks and other vehicles.

A group of 26 city, business and regional or state leaders, representing 122 million people around the world, have used the Global Climate Action Summit to call for carmakers to quicken the pace of electric vehicle rollout. Twelve cities, including Santa Monica, Tokyo and Greater Manchester, have pledged to deploy only zero emission buses from 2025.