12 cities say after 2025 they'll only buy electric buses

The mayors from 12 big cities around the world have joined together to make a pledge: Starting in 2025, they'll only add all-electric buses to their public transport fleets.

The promise is an extension of the C40 Clean Bus Declaration Act, a 2015 initiative from C40, an international coalition of cities formed to reduce harmful emissions and combat climate change.

The resolution was adopted by the mayors of London, Paris, Los Angeles, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Quito, Vancouver, Cape Town, Mexico City, Seattle, Milan, and Auckland. The leaders also promised to take steps to create a significant zero emission zone within their cities by 2030.

The mayors say they'll hit the targets by collaborating with their providers to phase in more zero-emissions public transport vehicles and pushing for everyday commuters to adopt alternative forms of transportation. The cities will publicly report their progress every two years.

The pledge is great news for electric bus makers like Proterra, which has established itself as a leader in the green bussing space and recently claimed one of its vehicles drove over 1,000 miles on one charge. Volkswagen Group's truck and bus division also recently announced plans for new all-electric buses from its MAN and Scania brands, which are slated to roll out in European markets next year.

Los Angeles, one of the C40 cities that made the pledge, is already making moves to electrify its fleet. The LA Metro ordered 95 all-electric buses from brands New Flyer of America and BYD earlier this summer.

The zero emissions pledge is yet another nail in the coffin for the traditional combustion engine, which is being prepped to be phased out of existence. Countries like China, the UK, and France have outlined plans to ban the purchase of gas and diesel vehicles, and the auto industry is responding with initiatives to electrify their product lines.