The Government has announced that the ban on sales of petrol and diesel powered cars will be pushed back to 2035 - a delay of five years. In an announcement that saw many of the Government’s other green commitments changed or dropped completely, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak claimed that the UK needed more time to bring affordable and practical electric cars to the market. 

The ban, which was regarded as increasingly unpopular among voters, was originally due to come into effect in 2030, with hybrids escaping the axe for a further five years. The news has been greeted with dismay by environmental groups and the automotive industry, which has invested billions in programmes to meet the original deadline. Although the new date aligns with the EU’s 2035 deadline, many see the UK’s change of heart as an embarrassing U-turn for the Government. The Labour Party has committed to reinstating the original 2030 date should it win next year’s general election while industry leaders have criticised the new plans. 

Reacting to the news, Ford UK Chair, Lisa Brankin, said: "Ford has announced a global $50 billion commitment to electrification, launching nine electric vehicles by 2025. The range is supported by £430 million invested in Ford’s UK development and manufacturing facilities. Our business needs three things from the UK government: ambition, commitment and consistency.  A relaxation of 2030 would undermine all three.”

Although UK sales of electric cars remains strong with one sold every 60 seconds, there are early signs that demand is starting to level off. While fleet sales remain strong, private sales have dipped in recent months. Unlike most European countries, the UK Government has removed all finance incentives for buyers, meaning that private buyers are having to pay a considerable premium to go electric. For many potential buyers, doubts also remain about the charging infrastructure. 

While the original ban date was regarded as an unpopular policy with many motorists, survey data gathered by Electrifying.com suggested that the ban is far from a driving force behind electric car sales. Just 7% of respondents cited the 20230 ban as their reason for going electric. The vast majority (42%) saying that environmental concerns are behind their decision, with one in four wanting to save money on fuel.

Commenting on the news, Electrifying.com CEO Ginny Buckley said: “The Prime Minister is behaving like my teenage son; pushing aside the tough stuff to get it done later. Putting the brakes on the ban is a big mistake; by turning this into a political issue and kicking the can down the road he’s creating uncertainty for the car industry and the wider ecosystem, which is collectively planning to invest billions of pounds into the transition.”

The UK’s ban change date is unlikely to affect long term product plans of manufacturers, which are all working towards to the EU cut-off date of 2025. Buyers hoping to still buy a conventional petrol or diesel car in 2034 are likely to be disappointed due to new European legislation that will set strict targets for exhaust emissions. New EU7 emissions regulations are set to be introduced in July 2025 which will limit the level of CO2 that all new cars can emit. Although the targets have yet to be finalised, the proposed limit of 60g/km would mean that cars would need some form of electrification in order to meet this. A number of member states and manufacturers including Stellantis, have warned that the EU7 targets are unachievable within the timeframe and would force brands to divert resources away from electric car development to re-engineer current internal combustion engines. Critics also argue that the cost of adapting engines to meet EU7 limits would be prohibitively expensive for consumers. 

Delay will give charging companies more time to build rapid charging infrastructure, according to the Government