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.
Comments
Let’s make a country without that ban
The main problem I have with these proposals is if most cars on sale/sold in 2040, wouldn’t petrol/diesel engine pollution be so small that it basically change nothing to the environment. The only thing this does is take away diversity of different powered cars in the new car market of 2040 and on wards. Also what is wrong if a niche manufacturer wants to build petrol powered cars. Also aren’t petrol engines becoming more efficient anyway. Finally if the government is proposing this for climate change shouldn’t they propose something to decrease beef consumption since cows produce more pollution than cows.
P.S
I am not against electric cars being the overall biggest market share in the future. I am just against banning different powered cars.
Why?!
So if you bought a petrol or diesel car before 2040 and drive it on 2040 it will be okay then?
Can’t see them managing to make the switch for all the infrastructure needed by this time, nor for thr various city transports including buses and trains.
It will be so ironic if they will produce the extra electricity needed by polluting the air, waters, soil.
Another government full of idiots who think only cars produce pollution. They are counting on EV cars being commonplace by that time. What if they dont? These morons are essentially promoting a global transport standstill in the near future out of flawed understanding of cars and pollution. What doesn’t seem to go through their thick skulls is that if EVs do in fact become common and affordable, they need to be charged. Charging them requires electricity. Along with people having to pay even more for their electric bills, powerplants dont produce it out of thin air. News flash: These plants produce more contaminants in a week than what cars can do in a year. Now imagine how much more will spew out of those smoke stacks under the strain of having to charge millions of EVs.
I predict that this ban will play out EXACTLY like Prohibition back in the 1920’s:
It would sound good on paper and have tons of public support, but in practice it will be a disaster.
This is what happens when people with no knowledge have control. Cars do combine in global pollution but they are not the main factor of it…
Yeah, yeah, heard it all before. Come 2040, I reckon there’ll still be hybrid-free petrol cars on sale.
am I the only person who thinks this might not be that terrible I mean hybrids aren’t that crap well the Prius is but you know hopefully in 20 years time or so the tech in cars like the la Ferrari or 918 will be more readily available