UK ban on petrol and diesel cars to be brought forward to 2035

The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is planning to bring forward a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars to 2035 at the latest. He made the announcement as part of a COP26  launch event at London’s Science Museum in early February. The previous government announced in 2017 that it would impose a ban on diesel and petrol cars from 2040. The sale of new hybrid vehicles are now also included under the new proposals, which will be subject to a consultation.

The change comes after experts said 2040 would be too late if the UK wants to achieve its net zero emissions target by 2050.

Although it does not have the power to ban new petrol and diesel cars, the Scottish government has already pledged to ‘phase out the need’ for them by 2032, through measures including an expansion of the EV charging network.

Welcoming the announcement, LowCVP Managing Director Andy Eastlake noted: ‘The target will be challenging for industry and drivers, but if we are to meet the 2050 net zero commitment we must raise our level of ambition in road transport. The intent from government is to give some real clarity on this target and to really gather the widest views before responding in the summer. With this in mind, we believe that in this proposal “zero means zero”; the desire is for all new cars and vans to emit nothing under all circumstances as soon as feasible.  The timing is what we need to pin down.  Clearly this will present a number of challenges, but also opportunities.'

He added: ‘Latest information on the fall in battery prices points to electric vehicles achieving price parity with conventional cars within the next five years. But there are already very significant fuel and other cost savings for EV drivers, so switching is already a good financial proposition for many. In simple terms for the typical driver, the aim is that your next car should have a plug, and the one after that should have no engine! However, there’s a big job to be done; by the manufacturers in switching over production facilities over a short time-scale and by organisations like LowCVP and others in making sure drivers, the energy system and key market players are fully prepared for the electric transition. This shortened target will heighten ambition and focus minds to meet the challenges ahead.’

Meanwhile, Stephen Marcos Jones, Director-General of UKPIA, warned that: ‘Plans to bring forward an end to the sale of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles from 2040 to 2035 threaten the opportunity to pursue a low carbon strategy in the UK that embraces all technologies’. He said: ‘The UK government risks the progress we have made in reducing our emissions by “picking winners”, instead of allowing for consumer choice and technological development – including low carbon liquid fuels in ICE and hybrid vehicles – to lead the way in decarbonising our society.’  

While noting that electric vehicles ‘will have an increasingly important role to play in the future of our transport system’, Jones said that: ‘If we are to meet the target of net zero emissions by 2050 we need to focus on the ends and not the means. That must include recognising that ICE and hybrid vehicles are part of the long-term solution to decarbonisation, playing a fundamental role in lowering emissions now, through enhanced vehicle efficiency and the use of low carbon liquid fuels.’

‘The downstream oil sector will continue to play a major role in the UK’s energy transition. We will work with the UK government to ensure that this vital area of public policy is driven by rigorous, evidence-based outcomes to help secure practicable, low carbon liquid fuel solutions to the country’s future transport and energy needs,’ he concluded.