The Future Of Fuel: Will Cars Go Electric?

Many countries and cities around the world have stated they will ban the sale of passenger vehicles (primarily cars and buses) powered by fossil fuels such as petrol, liquefied petroleum gas, and diesel at some time in the future. The UK has set a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars forward to 2030, though hybrids will be unaffected until 2035.

Banning gas cars

Many countries and cities around the world have stated they will ban the sale of passenger vehicles (primarily cars and buses) powered by fossil fuels such as petrol, liquefied petroleum gas, and diesel at some time in the future. The government has been tightening the timeframe for a ban on petrol and diesel cars since it first announced the idea in July 2017, when it proposed 2040 as the start date. In October 2018, the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee described that plan as “vague and unambitious.” In February 2019 the prime minister, Boris Johnson, said he would bring forward a ban on new petrol and diesel car sales from 2040 to 2035, or even sooner if a “faster transition is feasible”, and confirmed it would include hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

In November 2020, Johnson confirmed in a newspaper column that the government was bringing the ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars forward to 2030, though hybrids will be unaffected until 2035, provided they’re capable of achieving “significant” zero-emissions distances. To help facilitate the transition away from fossil-fuel cars in the UK, £1.3 billion of investment was announced in 2020 to fund EV chargepoints for homes, streets and motorways across England.

The sale of new petrol and diesel cars will stop in 2035. Petrol and diesel cars will still be available second hand. From 2035, the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles will be banned in the UK - with hybrids also facing the same fate. (Note: the ban was initially set to begin in 2030, but has now been pushed back five years.) With just years to go, is it still worth buying a fossil fuel car? Or should British drivers make the switch to electric vehicles (EVs)? Sound confusing? Here's how it'll all work.

2035 petrol and diesel car ban

The UK government has announced a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2035. This ban will affect all new car sales, including hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles. The ban was initially set to begin in 2030, but has now been pushed back five years.

The government has been tightening the timeframe for a ban on petrol and diesel cars since it first announced the idea in July 2017, when it proposed 2040 as the start date. In October 2018, the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee described that plan as “vague and unambitious”. In February 2019 the prime minister, Boris Johnson, said he would bring forward a ban on new petrol and diesel car sales from 2040 to 2035, or even sooner if a “faster transition is feasible”, and confirmed it would include hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

The major opposition parties to the Conservative government have pledged to reverse Rishi Sunak’s September 2023 change of policy, and revert to the original 2030 date for banning new petrol and diesel car sales. With a general election looming in 2024, and polls putting the Labour party ahead, it seems there’s plenty of scope for more change - and more uncertainty - in the months ahead.

To help facilitate the transition away from fossil-fuel cars in the UK, £1.3 billion of investment was announced in 2020 to fund EV chargepoints for homes, streets and motorways across England.

The sale of new petrol and diesel cars will stop in 2035. Petrol and diesel cars will still be available second hand.

UK petrol and diesel car ban

The UK government has been working towards a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars since 2017, with the aim of reducing the country's carbon footprint and promoting the use of electric vehicles (EVs). The initial proposal was to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2040, but this was tightened to 2035 in 2019 by Prime Minister Boris Johnson. This decision was supported by the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee in 2018, who described the original plan as "vague and unambitious".

The ban will affect all new car sales, including hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles, and will come into effect from 2035. Hybrid vehicles will be unaffected until 2035, provided they can achieve "significant" zero-emissions distances. The sale of new petrol and diesel cars will still be available second-hand after the ban is implemented.

To facilitate the transition away from fossil-fuel cars, the UK government has invested £1.3 billion to fund EV chargepoints for homes, streets, and motorways across England. This investment is expected to support the widespread adoption of electric vehicles and help drivers make the switch from petrol and diesel cars.

The ban on new petrol and diesel car sales is a significant step towards reducing the country's carbon emissions and promoting sustainable transportation. It is expected to encourage the development and adoption of electric vehicles, leading to a cleaner and more environmentally friendly transportation system in the UK.

The UK's ban on new petrol and diesel car sales is a key example of global efforts to combat climate change and transition towards sustainable transportation. Many countries and cities worldwide have also stated their intention to ban the sale of passenger vehicles powered by fossil fuels, with synonyms for the bans including "banning gas cars," "banning petrol cars," and "the petrol and diesel car ban."

Banning petrol cars

The UK government has been tightening the timeframe for a ban on petrol and diesel cars since it first announced the idea in July 2017. In September 2023, Rishi Sunak changed the policy to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in 2035, with hybrids also facing the same fate. This is a five-year delay from the original 2030 date and all major opposition parties have pledged to reverse this change.

The sale of new petrol and diesel cars will stop in 2035, but petrol and diesel cars will still be available second-hand. All the major opposition parties to the Conservative government have pledged to reverse the 2035 ban and revert to the original 2030 date, with a general election looming in 2024 and polls putting the Labour party ahead.

To help facilitate the transition away from fossil-fuel cars, £1.3 billion of investment was announced in 2020 to fund EV chargepoints for homes, streets and motorways across England.

The government has been tightening the timeframe for a ban on petrol and diesel cars since it first announced the idea in July 2017. In November 2020, Johnson confirmed in a newspaper column that the government was bringing the ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars forward to 2030, though hybrids will be unaffected until 2035, provided they’re capable of achieving “significant” zero-emissions distances.

In February 2019, the prime minister, Boris Johnson, said he would bring forward a ban on new petrol and diesel car sales from 2040 to 2035, or even sooner if a “faster transition is feasible”, and confirmed it would include hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

The petrol and diesel car ban

In November 2020, Johnson confirmed in a newspaper column that the government was bringing the ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars forward to 2030, though hybrids will be unaffected until 2035, provided they’re capable of achieving “significant” zero-emissions distances. In 2020, £1.3 billion of investment was announced to fund EV chargepoints for homes, streets and motorways across England to help facilitate the transition away from fossil-fuel cars.

The sale of new petrol and diesel cars will stop in 2035. Petrol and diesel cars will still be available second hand. The ban was initially set to begin in 2030, but has now been pushed back five years.

The major opposition parties to the Conservative government have pledged to reverse Rishi Sunak’s September 2023 change of policy, and revert to the original 2030 date for banning new petrol and diesel car sales. With a general election looming in 2024, and polls putting the Labour party ahead, it seems there’s plenty of scope for more change - and more uncertainty - in the months ahead.

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