The Fate of Gas Guzzlers in the Age of Electric Cars

As the West moves towards electric vehicles, many gas-powered cars are being shipped to developing countries like Benin, where demand for used cars is growing. The global market for used light-duty vehicles grew nearly 20% from 2015 to 2019, with many of these cars ending up in West Africa. Experts warn that this trend will divert climate and environmental problems to countries that are the most vulnerable to the climate crisis, undermining their own attempts to cut planet-warming pollution. Regulations aimed at reducing pollution and increasing the safety of imported cars into West Africa have tended to be weak, but attempts have been made recently to tighten them up.