Merkel will see Germany joining gasoline, diesel car sales bans?

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday rejected a proposal made by her Social Democrat rivals, Martin Schulz, to introduce quotas for electric cars in Europe, arguing the implementation of such targets would prove too complicated.

Instead, Merkel called for a bigger strategy for helping the auto industry make the transition to producing electric cars and she has repeatedly warned against "demonising" diesel engines.

But this Monday, in an interview with SUPERillu magazine, Merkel said Germany must eventually follow other European countries in banning the sale of new gasoline and diesel cars.

"I don't want to name an exact year," she said, but Britain and France's plans to phase out internal combustion-driven cars by 2040 "were the right approach."

Will Merkel see Germany joining gasoline, diesel car sales bans? If so, what does it mean to auto industry?