UK government set to ban pure petrol and diesel cars from 2030
The government plans to reinstate the 2030 ban on the sale of pure ICE cars, but hybrid models would survive until 2035
The UK government plans to ban the sale of pure internal combustion-engined cars from 2030, reversing the delay to 2035 put in place by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak last September. A Department for Transport spokesperson confirmed that while the move hasn’t been made yet, Labour intends to reinstate the 2030 deadline with hybrid vehicles surviving until 2035:
‘We have always been committed to restoring the original 2030 phase-out date for the sale of new cars with pure internal combustion engines.
‘The original phase-out date included the provision for some hybrid vehicle sales between 2030 and 35. We know it is important to provide certainty and stability for drivers and will set out further details in due course.’
The decision would bring the terms of the ban back into line with those set out in 2020 by Boris Johnson, which also allowed for hybrid vehicles to be sold until 2035. By contrast, European countries including France, Italy and Spain will allow the sale of both pure ICE models and hybrids until 2035.
If the 2030 ban does come back into force, the response from car makers will be mixed. Toyota was positive about the Tory government’s 2035 deadline, saying it recognised that ‘low emission and affordable technologies can have a role to play in a pragmatic vehicle transition.’ Toyota’s rollout of electric cars has been slower than others (its current EV range consists of the bZ4X SUV and variations of the Proace van/people carrier, although more are planned), and the firm has primarily focused on hybrid models in recent years.
Ford, meanwhile, felt that extending the deadline to 2035 brought uncertainty to the industry. The firm’s UK Chair Lisa Brankin said: ‘Our business needs three things from the UK government: ambition, commitment, and consistency... A relaxation of 2030 undermines all three.’ Ford has shown strong commitment towards electric cars, investing $22bn to rebuild its Cologne factory to become an EV-only manufacturing facility and signing a technical agreement with Volkswagen to share EV platforms for models like the new Capri and Explorer.
