UK TO BAN SALE OF NEW PETROL AND DIESEL CARS FROM 2030

Sat 14 November 2020:

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson plans to announce next week a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030, five years earlier than previously planned, the Financial Times reported on Saturday.

Britain had originally planned to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel-powered cars from 2040, as part of efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and in February Johnson brought this forward to 2035.

Citing unidentified industry and government figures, the FT said Johnson now intended to move the date forward again to 2030 in a speech on environmental policy he is expected to give next week.

The BBC reported a similar plan earlier on Saturday, without giving any sources.

A Downing Street spokeswoman declined to comment on the reports or the content of Johnson’s upcoming speech.

The FT said the new timetable was not expected to apply to some hybrid cars which use a mixture of electric and fossil fuel propulsion and could still be sold until 2035.

An end to the sale of new petrol and diesel cars would mark a huge shift in Britain’s automotive market.

Industry figures show that petrol and diesel powered cars accounted for 90% of new car sales so far this year, while just 1.4% of sales were for pure electric vehicles, which are typically more expensive. Hybrid vehicles of various types made up the remaining sales.

32,000 new jobs

A recent study published by Greenpeace UK claims a 2030 deadline would lead to the creation of 32,000 more jobs by that year, compared to if the ban were to be moved to 2035. The UK’s GDP, meanwhile, would rise by a further 0.2 per cent – equivalent to £4.2 billion – if a date of 2030 were chosen.

Employment increases and higher levels of economic activity resulting from the acceleration of the ban could also provide a £1.9 billion net increase in revenue for the Government by 2030, the study claims.

Furthermore, the report suggests phasing out petrol and diesel cars early will allow the UK to position itself in such a way as to capture a larger share of both domestic and overseas car markets.

Doug Parr, director of UK policy at Greenpeace, said: “Now more than ever we need bold Government policies that create new jobs and economic growth, whilst driving the UK forward on climate action. Here… is one that will do just that, while making the UK a world leader in electric vehicle manufacturing. Delivered with the right policies, a 2030 phase-out really would be win-win all round.”

The analysis comes despite warnings from the UK car industry that moving the date of the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars forward to 2030 would be “devastating”.

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