UK Government aims to ‘restore clarity’ with consultation on petrol car phase-out
A consultation has been launched into the phase-out of petrol and diesel cars by 2030.
Automotive and charging experts will be invited to share their views, as the UK Government claim the consultation will “restore clarity” for vehicle manufacturers and the charging industry.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander launched the consultation to ask for views from industry on how to deliver Labour’s manifesto commitment to restore the 2030 phase-out date for new purely petrol and diesel cars.
The 2030 date had been extended to 2035 by the previous government.
Currently, more than two-thirds of car manufacturers in the UK, including Nissan and Stellantis, have already committed to transitioning fully to electric cars by 2030.
Mandate
The consultation proposes updates to the Zero Emission Vehicle (Zev) Mandate, which sets out the percentage of new zero emission cars and vans manufacturers will be required to sell each year up to 2030.
The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) think tank said the UK will meet its electric vehicle targets because the Zev mandate takes into account credits earned from selling lower-emission hybrid petrol and diesel vehicles, as well as sales of fully electric vehicles.
This means the Zev mandate target of 22% for each manufacturer is set to be achieved as an average across the industry, the ECIU said.
Ms Alexander said: “Employing 152,000 people and adding £19 billion to our economy, the UK’s automotive industry is a huge asset to our nation — and the transition to electric is an unprecedented opportunity to attract investment, harness British innovation, and deliver growth for generations to come.
“Yet over the last few years, our automotive industry has been stifled by a lack of certainty and direction. This Government will change that.
“Drivers are already embracing EVs faster than ever, with one in four new cars sold in November electric.
“Today’s measures will help us capitalise on the clean energy transition to support thousands of jobs, make the UK a clean energy superpower, and rebuild Britain.”
‘Push’
The consultation will also be part of a “wider push” to make charging electric vehicles easier with another 100,000 chargers planned by local authorities across England.
The Government has committed to changing planning legislation to provide additional flexibility in England through permitted development rights when installing off-street electric vehicle chargepoints, as well as allowing chargepoint installers to use street works permits instead of licences to make it easier and quicker to install chargers.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said accelerating the transition to electric vehicles will “drive forward our clean energy superpower mission and brings huge economic opportunities”.
“It will help drivers access cars that are cheaper to run, cut air pollution in our cities and towns, back British manufacturers and provide highly skilled jobs in emerging industries,” he said.
Mike Hawes, chief executive of automotive industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said: “The automotive industry welcomes Government’s review of both the end of sale date for cars powered solely by petrol or diesel, and possible changes to the flexibilities around the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate.
“These are both critical issues for an industry that is facing significant challenges globally as it tries to decarbonise ahead of natural market demand.
“Aside from the billions invested in new technologies and products, it has cost manufacturers in excess of £4 billion in discounting in the UK this year alone.
“This is unsustainable and, with the 2025 market looking under even greater pressure, it is imperative we get an urgent resolution, with a clear intent to adapt the regulation to support delivery, backed by bold incentives to stimulate demand.”
‘Firm route’
AA president Edmund King said: “The AA supported the original zero emission new cars sales deadline of 2030 as ‘challenging but ambitious’ and the results of this consultation should define the firm route to zero emissions.
“Understandably drivers have been hesitant about the transition but more clarity on hybrids, vans and planning support for accelerated charging infrastructure should give them more certainty.”
Dan Caesar, chief executive of Electric Vehicles UK, which represents the sector, said: “We welcome confirmation of the consultation after several consecutive months of clear, growing demand for used and new battery EVs in the UK.
“The Zev mandate is working and we believe that clarity around the direction of travel will see the UK cement its position as one of the most attractive battery EV markets on the global stage.”
The consultation will be open for eight weeks and will seek views on which cars can be sold alongside Zevs from 2030, such as full hybrids and plug-in hybrids, as well as the approach for vans and small volume manufacturers.
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There is absolutely no point in this. The UK is responsible for only 1% of global warming but all these expensive net zero options (like EV cars) are bankrupting the citizens of the country to achieve exactly nothing as global warming will continue as it’s what China, India, Russia, the USA and the oil states do which matters, not us.
Our focus should be on dealing with the consequences of global warming, not a pointless attempt to stop it. For example, not building on flood plains and moving houses off flood plains. (Okay, build sport fields on flood plains…)
Picture is very different when you add in historical and colonial data. We are among the worst.
But even if a low percentage, it doesn’t mean we stop trying or we cannot impress on others the need to do this, because there is no planet B.
Jeff, what on earth is the point of factoring in historical and colonial data ? Even if we accept 100% that there is a crisis, then that crisis is hitting the present and the future. You can’t undo what has gone before. Self-blame serves no purpose other than letting others dump responsibility on you.
The point of factoring in historical data is we could try to reduce that as well
Perhaps with your wisdom you can shed some light on the likely trade in prices offered for petrol and diesel cars. What is so appealing about thinking of buying second hand EV’s with the potential of not knowing how long the battery will last and how much it will cost to replace! How much are these new EV’s going to cost for basic family car up to estate type?
The studies seem to suggest that the batteries will outlive the cars and will have secondary uses in BESS
We have finite taxpayer money. Use that money to maximise the future as we have no planet B. Net Zero in the UK will achieve nothing bar a waste of money – so use what money there is to improve the future of Planet A by dealing with the consequence of global warming.
I quite like the gulf stream. I don’t think the UK survives as you know it if that fails (a possible outcome at the moment). How many homes in the UK are set up for an average drop of say 10 degrees in the winter and 10 up in the summer? The farming is not geared for that, one review on the bad side is a massive drop in productivity, but the thing is, no one knows till it hits. Doing nothing because some right wing think tank says so is plain daft. The trade off is try and we… Read more »
Not disagreeing, but you are playing fast and loose with terminology. The Gulf Stream doesn’t get anywhere near us and is mostly driven by prevailing winds. That feeds the North Atlantic Drift (NAD). which reaches these shores and beyond. They are not the same thing; neither is AMOC. The two things that affect the density of seawater are temperature and salinity. The mechanism that drives AMOC is that supercooled Arctic waters, despite being less saline, are denser than the warmer waters fed in from the NAD sink to the ocean floor. Those waters then travel along the ocean floor, beneath… Read more »
Nearly managed a half descent quote there, shame about the insult towards sport, which is crucial for the health and education of our youngsters. Our national stadium was once just a sports field on a flood plain, but is now arguably the best facility of its type in the world.
So should we just break the law?
There is no mention by anyone in the press or government of DME Demethyl Ether that is already used in Japan and the US to run diesel vehicles including HGV transport vehicles. There is no polution particles with this fuel and it is a small cost to convert from diesel fuel to this .
Clean air and clean fuel for existing vehicles without spending stupid money on electric car manufacuring.
Well, that contradicts recent reports, no mention of infrastructure requirements, new electricity grid construction to be able to support the current household needs let alone support for EVs and the amount of power generation needed to support them. Has any politician sat down and thaught about where this electricity is to be generated or are we to import it from the EU at great expense?
Like most people who live near me an EV is impossible. Mainly working class terraced housing. Not allowed to trail a cable over the pavement. EVs are OK for affluent suburbia with garages and driveways. Until this issue is addressed it’s just a pipe dream, a status symbol for Labour ministers in posh houses.
He will not want electricity demand to increase radically before 2030 as this will make the Clean Power 2030 objective harder to reach
UK has a terminal case of stupid.
UK returns to the stone age. Peace on you.
Backpedal is the word they are looking for!