Discussions taking place to make 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars voluntary
Hope for petrolheads?
Discussions are taking place that cast new doubt the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars (with new hybrids banned from 2035) amid waning public support for the policy, The Times has reported.
The newspaper quoted an unnamed source who said the government is engaging in talks to change the minutiae of the proposal, which is intended to help the UK reach its net zero emissions targets. Suggestions on the table include making the ban voluntary or allowing certain niche car makers to be exempted.
The news comes after a YouGov poll for The Times showed just 36 per cent of voters back the 2030 ban, down from 51 per cent in 2021. The reduction in support for the ban is particularly pronounced among Conservative party voters, with just 19 per cent supporting the ban in its current form. Back in 2019, that figure stood at 41 per cent.
Under the current proposals, at least 22 per cent of new vehicles sold in 2024 must be electric, and that proportion will increase every year to meet the 2030 and 2035 targets. The ban is only on new car sales and drivers will still be allowed to run their petrol and diesel-powered cars beyond 2035.
However, The Times’ source told the paper discussions were afoot to make the 2024 target voluntary, as well as giving more time for small-volume and niche-product manufacturers such as Aston Martin to make the transition.
“Officials are already revising down the numbers because they think there are going to be changes [to the plans] in the short term,” the source added.
This is not the first time that talk of watering down the government’s ban has surfaced. Not only have several big-name European car makers — including Ferrari and Porsche — pushed back against the plans, but the European Union has confirmed its version of the scheme will make exceptions for low-volume producers.
Politically motivated
More recently, prime minister Rishi Sunak confirmed that he doesn’t want green policies to “unnecessarily give people more hassle and more costs.” His comments followed Labour’s surprise defeat in the Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election. There, motoring costs came to the fore again, with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer blaming the defeat on the planned expansion of London’s Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) by mayor Sadiq Khan (also Labour).
The decision to expand the zone to cover all of London, forcing drivers of non-compliant vehicles to pay £12.50 a day to drive in the capital, has been a bone of contention for the Labour party of late. This is despite compliant cars being highly affordable — models are available for as little as £700 on used car websites, with compliant used vans from around £2,000.
However, The Times’ poll suggests it isn’t just motoring-related green measures that are lacking support at the moment. The survey also showed a sharp reduction in support for higher taxes on long-haul flights, and higher taxes on gas for heating and cooking.
The 2030 ban as it stands
Nevertheless, the government’s ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars remains in place for now. As things stand, manufacturers will have to gradually increase the market share of electric vehicles over the coming years, ahead of new cars with traditional petrol and diesel engines being banned from sale in 2030.
New hybrid cars, which combine petrol or diesel engines with electric motors, will be allowed to remain on sale until 2035, at which point all new cars will have to use some form of zero-carbon propulsion.
While the scheme will ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans from 2030, it will not see those vehicles banished from UK roads overnight. Used sales will continue, and drivers will be permitted to continue to use existing petrol or diesel vehicles.
With European car industry group ACEA estimating the average car in the UK is 10 years old, it seems inevitable that petrol and diesel cars will remain a common sight well into the 2040s. The timing is designed to ensure almost all fossil fuel-powered cars are removed from the roads before the government’s net zero date of 2050.
Car makers on target
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), which is the trade body for the UK car industry, says push back on the 2030 dates is not coming from car makers, which are on target to meet or beat the targets. However consumers must be encouraged by the government to buy electric cars, it argued.
“The industry remains committed to meeting the UK’s zero emission deadlines and continues to make the investments to get us there,” said Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive.
“With inflation, rising costs of living and a zero emission vehicle mandate that will dictate the market coming next year, however, consumers must be given every possible incentive to buy. Government must pull every lever, therefore, to make buying, running and, especially, charging an EV affordable and practical for every driver in every part of the country.”
The government has ended the Plug-In Car Grant, which once saw the government subsidise the purchase of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. It has also said that electric cars will start attracting VED (road tax) from April 1, 2025.
Related articles
- If you were interested in potential changes to the 2030 ban on purely petrol and diesel cars, you might be interested in the full list of electric cars coming to the UK
- Keen to go electric? Here are the top 10 longest-range electric cars
- Or read Will Dron’s review of the Hyundai Ioniq 5
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