The UK Will Ban Petrol And Diesel New Car Sales From 2040

The UK is to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2040, in a move that matches a commitment already made by France.

Although the full details are yet to be published it’s thought that the move won’t stop petrol and diesel engines being part of drivetrains as long as they’re used in conjunction with electrification. The various types of petrol- or diesel-electric hybrids will almost certainly be allowed for a couple more decades after 2040.

The deadline is set at around the length of three full life cycles of a typical car, but with development of an all-new model normally starting between five and eight years before it goes on sale, there simply isn’t enough time to evolve today’s cars into a fully electric state. Nor is there enough time to find enough reliable extra electricity and capacity for the National Grid.

Most manufacturers already offer a degree of electrification, from mild hybrid superminis that cut the engine under deceleration to plug-in hybrid luxury saloons that can travel dozens of miles without using the engine. There are already plenty of full-electric cars, too.

The early information we have, as reported by the BBC, is that the new legislation will favour electric cars. That suggests to us that a new taxation regime will be put in place that slowly pushes people out of fossil-fuel-burning vehicles and into EVs. It’s likely that hybrids will be a halfway house, while petrols and diesels could be slapped with so much tax you’ll have to be a Premier League footballer to be able to afford to run one.

The move comes as political and public pressure to combat air pollution in London builds. Occasionally, parliament remembers that other cities exist, too, and wants to do something about the thousands of annual deaths that are put down to traffic fumes. We’ll keep an eye out for further details of the plans as they appear.