Confirmed: UK to ban petrol, diesel car sales in 2030

It’s now official. UK prime minister Boris Johnson has confirmed that the country will be bringing forward its ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel-powered cars and vans from 2040 to 2030. Reported earlier, the ban was confirmed by Johnson in a column he wrote for the Financial Times.

2030 is a a full decade earlier than the original deadline, and it gives the internal combustion engine 10 more years to live, although hybrid cars and vans “that can drive a significant distance when no carbon coming out of the tailpipe” will be allowed until 2035. There was no elaboration on the “significant distance” part, but it could be just for plug-in hybrids.

Part of a 10-point plan to make the UK a carbon neutral country by 2050, the 2030 ban on ICE cars is to boost the electric vehicle market. The PM wrote that the government will “invest more than £2.8 billion in electric vehicles, lacing the land with charging points and creating long-lasting batteries in UK gigafactories. This will allow us to end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans in 2030.”

The UK’s EV market is still small but fast growing. 75,946 new full EVs have been sold there so far in 2020 – while that accounts for just 5.5% of the total car market (1,384,601 units), it’s a 168.7% year-on-year increase. As more carmakers roll out electric cars, the EV share of the pie will surely grow.

“We share government’s ambition for leadership in decarbonising road transport and are committed to the journey. Manufacturers have invested billions to deliver vehicles that are already helping thousands of drivers switch to zero, but this new deadline, fast-tracked by a decade, sets an immense challenge,” Mike Hawes, CEO of the UK’s Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders told Autocar.

“We are pleased, therefore, to see government accept the importance of hybrid transition technologies – which drivers are already embracing as they deliver carbon savings now – and commit to additional spending on purchase incentives,” he added.

EV infrastructure needs to improve for drivers to “recharge as easily as they refuel,” and “for that, we look to others to step up and match our commitment. We will now work with government on the detail of this plan, which must be delivered at pace to achieve a rapid transition that benefits all of society, and safeguards UK automotive manufacturing and jobs,” Hawes said.

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