What does the 2030 sale ban on petrol and diesel cars mean for you?
In March 2021, the UK government officially confirmed that their ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars has been moved forward to 2030 – at the same time as it announced a new £20m funding pot to supercharge electric vehicle (EV) innovation.
Th UK government first introduced the ban on new petrol and diesel car sales with a deadline of 2040, but this has now been brought forward following criticism from environmental groups who felt it wasn’t in line with the government’s 2050 zero emissions policy.
With the ban now confirmed, the government has wasted no time in trying to incentivise the car market to promote EV innovations including EV technology innovations. It also plans to build upon the £1.3bn EV charging infrastructure it introduced in 2020, as more than five times the amount of EV charging points will need installing than there has been so far, if they are to meet their net-zero emissions target.
What cars are actually being banned from sale?
From 2030, car dealers are banned from selling any new cars that are powered by engines that solely rely on petrol or diesel to power them.
Some plug-in hybrid cars will remain on sale until 2035 (hybrid cars are those powered by both electricity and petrol/diesel).
Why does the government feel the ban is necessary?
Climate change is the biggest threat of the 21st century, according to many scientists – and one of the biggest contributors to climate change is carbon dioxide emissions.
Both petrol and diesel cars emit a lot of carbon dioxide, so the government feel that banning the sale of these types of vehicles is crucial in their fight to slow down climate change. In fact, the UK has had a legal obligation to achieve a net zero level of carbon emissions by 2050, since the government voted it as law in 2019.
What cars will replace petrol and diesel cars?
The plan is that petrol and diesel cars will eventually be replaced with zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) that emit no pollutants such as carbon dioxide, when they are being driven. It is likely, therefore, that many people will switch to electric vehicles.
Many car manufacturers are already switching focus away from developing petrol and diesel cars towards developing electric cars, with several of the larger manufacturers announcing that the majority of their ranges will be fully electric by 2030. A large amount of money is also being invested in the charging infrastructure of the UK as well.
It is likely that not just battery powered electric cars will be produced, but cars using other technologies such as hydrogen fuel cells may also become available. In fact, Hyundai and Toyota are two of the car manufacturers who already have fuel cell vehicles (FCV) on the road.
When will the sale of petrol and diesel cars officially end?
Petrol and diesel cars can be sold right up until the day the ban comes into force, in theory. However, it is likely that over the next few years it will become harder and harder to buy them as more and more car manufacturers move their focus towards electric vehicles.
However, there may still be high demand for petrol and diesel cars from the general public – as many people don’t want to switch over to electric cars and feel they are being forced to do so.
Can I still drive my petrol or diesel car after 2030?
Yes. The ban is only on the sale of NEW cars and doesn’t affect existing petrol and diesel cars at all. You’ll be glad to know there are no plans to ban all petrol and diesel cars on the cards, at the moment, as far as we know!
The down side of more people switching to electric vehicles is that the government will lose out on fuel duty and carbon-dioxide-based road tax charges, so they will more than likely have to do something to offset that. One of the options supposedly being discussed is charging drivers for using the road – but nothing has been officially released about this yet.
Will I still be able to buy a petrol or diesel car after 2030?
Yes. The ban only applies to new petrol or diesel cars, so you will still be able to buy, sell and drive used petrol cars and diesel cars.
You’ll be pleased to learn that here at Cartime.co.uk we have a wide range of high-quality used petrol, diesel and even electric cars for sale. Use the search function to find the right car for you. We are constantly updating our stock, so if we can’t find what you want today then check back soon to see what’s available.