Prime Minister Rishi Sunak postponed the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 to 2035, according to Energy Saving Trust1. The same announcement removed the five-year extension that hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles had been given, so that only fully electric cars and vans can be sold from 20351. Power NI dates the decision to September 20232.
The change affects new vehicle sales only. The ban applies to all new diesel and petrol cars and vans sold in the UK and Northern Ireland, and from 2035 a buyer of a new car or van will no longer be able to buy a combustion engine vehicle2. Sales of new hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars will be banned from the same date2. There is no date currently set for banning the sale of second-hand diesel and petrol cars, and drivers will be able to continue driving an existing diesel or petrol car2.
"The five-year stay of execution afforded to hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles has been removed, meaning that only fully electric cars and vans can be sold from 2035."
The government has set out supporting figures for the transition. It suggests that 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans sold from 2030 onwards will be zero emission2. Power NI reports a pledge to invest £1.3 billion in thousands more charge points in homes, workplaces, residential streets and on motorways and major roads, and a £582 million package of grants for some plug-in vehicles including vans, trucks, motorcycles and wheelchair-accessible vehicles2. Grants to install home chargers are available for people living in flats, people living in rental properties, and landlords2. The same source reports a planned £385 million investment in new nuclear power infrastructure, intended to grow the electricity system to meet increased demand from EV charging2.
The ban sits alongside local restrictions. Low emission zones, known as clean air zones in England, charge or penalise highly polluting vehicles based on their Euro emission standard, and vehicles with higher emissions are either unable to enter the area or must pay a charge1. There are currently five low emission zones in the UK, with London home to the first ultra low emission zone and Glasgow's zone coming into effect at the end of December 2018; Brighton, Norwich and Oxford also have zones in place1. Apart from London, these currently only apply to buses1. In England, clean air zones were to be launched in Bath and Birmingham in early 2021, charging buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles and heavy goods vehicles unless they meet minimum emission standards1.
Why it matters for households
The date a new car can be bought with a petrol or diesel engine has moved back five years, but the end point for hybrids has moved forward to the same year. A household that had planned around a hybrid purchase in the early 2030s now faces the same 2035 cut-off as a conventional car1. Nothing in the announcement restricts driving or selling an existing vehicle, and no date has been set for second-hand sales2.
For a home's energy independence, the change matters through charging. Power NI states that most EV charging happens overnight when electricity is off-peak and there is already spare capacity in the UK's electricity grid, and that nuclear investment is intended to add capacity for EV charging2. Home charging grants for flats, rental properties and landlords are reported as available2. The government's own projection of 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans being zero emission from 2030 is a forecast, not a requirement2.
What happens next
The ban takes effect in 2035 for new petrol, diesel, hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars and vans1. Power NI states there is no indication at this stage that the ban will be pushed back any further2. The Scottish Government has committed to introducing low emission zones in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow, with each city conducting a local consultation1.
Sources2 cited
- Low emission and clean air zones- Energy Saving Trust, energysavingtrust.org.uk
- UK ban on petrol & diesel vehicles | Power NI, powerni.co.uk