UK delays ban on petrol and diesel cars until 2035

The British government has delayed its scheduled ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030 to 2035, pushing the cut-off date back to its original target and attracting criticism from the car industry in the process.

In February 2020, the UK – under former prime minister Boris Johnson – became one of the first major governments to announce a ban on new internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, but within 10 months it had brought its mid-decade timeline forward to 2030.

This week, Britain’s current PM Rishi Sunak announced that he had pushed the ban on new ICE cars back to 2035 on account of the “unacceptable costs” being forced upon UK households battling high inflation, just as they are in other parts of the world including Australia.

“We’re going to ease the transition to electric vehicles,” Sunak said.

“You’ll still be able to buy petrol and diesel cars and vans until 2035.

“We’re aligning our approach with countries like Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Australia, Canada, Sweden, and US states such as California, New York and Massachusetts.”

While Sunak said he was acting in the country’s best interests by delaying the ban, the move has come under heavy fire from car companies and the wider automotive industry as they scramble to transition their model lines to electrified powertrains.

Ford and Volkswagen were quick to react, with Ford UK boss Lisa Brankin declaring the move an undermining of the Blue Oval brand’s electrification and decarbonisation efforts.

“This is the biggest industry transformation in over a century and the UK 2030 target is a vital catalyst to accelerate Ford into a cleaner future,” she said.

“Our business needs three things from the UK government: ambition, commitment and consistency. A relaxation of 2030 would undermine all three.

“We need the policy focus trained on bolstering the EV market in the short term and supporting consumers while headwinds are strong: infrastructure remains immature, tariffs loom and cost of living is high.”

Volkswagen also condemned the lack of consistency and called for a secure framework on which to nurse and grow consumer confidence.

“The industry has long been calling for clarity and certainty,” a UK spokesperson said.

“The Volkswagen Group has consistently supported government’s transport decarbonisation objectives.

“Regardless of the policy adjustments announced today, we urgently need a clear and reliable regulatory framework which creates market certainty and consumer confidence, including binding targets for infrastructure rollout and incentives to ensure the direction of travel.”

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) – the UK equivalent of Australia’s Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) – has also called for the government to deliver more incentives for consumers to make the switch to EVs in the face of the higher costs of living.

“Manufacturers will continue to put innovative new models on the market but consumers need encouragement to buy more than ever,” said SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes.

“Today’s announcement must be backed up with a package of attractive incentives and measures to accelerate charging infrastructure to give consumers the confidence to switch.

“Carrots move markets faster than sticks.”

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