The UK Government announced plans to push back its current target of banning new diesel- and petrol-powered vehicle sales by another five years to 2035, Reuters reports.
Policy details
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak aims to delay the traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle sales ban until 2035.
Prime Minister Sunak claims the move is essential to aid individual households that may not immediately afford expensive electric vehicle models.
For context, the UK Government’s original sales ban target is actually 2035. However, it accelerated the timeline to 2030 just three years ago.
Now, it has returned to the initial 2035 target, frustrating many automakers in the country.
Therefore, UK-based buyers can still purchase new traditional ICE vehicles until 2035, like in France and Germany.
Ford UK’s warning
Ford UK Chair warned Wednesday that the country may end up impeding its electric vehicle shift with the decision to delay the current 2030 target to ban new sales of petrol and diesel-powered vehicles.
“The UK 2030 target is a vital catalyst to accelerate Ford into a cleaner future. Our business needs three things from the UK government: ambition, commitment and consistency. A relaxation of 2030 would undermine all three.”
Ford UK chair Lisa Brankin
The American legacy automaker further asserted its investment of 430 million pounds ($531 million) in its local facilities in the country. It even has plans to boost that amount to adhere to the 2030 deadline.
“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.”
Ford UK chair Lisa Brankin
Stellantis demands “clarity”
Multinational automaker Stellantis remains determined to hit “100% zero emission new car and van sales in the UK and Europe by 2030” despite the policy changes. Nonetheless, it still demanded the UK Government to be clear regarding such changes, BBC reports.
Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) CEO also expressed concerns that buyers may get an “incredibly confusing” message over the ban delay.
“The concern now is, does this cause consumers to delay their purchase [of an electric car]?”
SMMT CEO Mike Hawes
RAC Head of Policy Simon Williams further indicated that the policy changes might cause “slowing down both the momentum the motor industry has built up in switching to electric.”
In addition, Cox Automotive’s Insight and Strategy Director noted that many automakers already announced shifting to electric vehicles and hybrids before the 2030 deadline.
Therefore, Director Philip Nothard believes buyers will still have a “limited choice” of non-EV models despite the five-year delay.
See Also:
- UK automakers demand tax credits to encourage customers to switch to EVs
- UK launches its largest EV charging park in Birmingham
- UK’s electric-vehicle revolution stalls: Industry experts say Britain is falling short of US and Europe in EV race
- Recharge, an Australian startup, to take over Britishvolt, a UK battery manufacturer
- BMW to spend £600M on its Oxford Mini factory in the UK
UK’s plan to delay the current 2030 sales ban target for non-electric vehicles by another five years can substantially hinder its goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. The move can also discourage major automakers from investing in Britain, considering the reactions it gained from players like Ford.
