Claims have circulated that the government is planning to bring forward a ban on the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles to 2030.
Previously there had been suggestions that the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, was planning to move the ban from 2040 to 2032 or the middle of the next decade, but it would appear that this has accelerated to just 9 years time.
The move would bring the UK government in line with many other European countries, including Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands. The most ambitious target is in Norway, which is currently aiming for banning sales by 2025.
The policy is seen as part of a so-called “Green Recovery” from the Coronavirus pandemic with environmental policies forming the backbone of economic growth as the UK comes out the other side of the pandemic in the next five to ten years.
It is claimed that the policy is supported by the Committee on Climate Change and will be announced as part of a suite of proposals later this year, designed to deliver a “net zero” economy by 2050. The move will also include additional support for hydrogen technology.
Last week, minister for clean growth, Kwasi Kwarteng, said that the much-delayed energy white paper will be released this autumn and will outline how the industry will support the government’s 2050 net-zero target.
Bringing forward a ban on ICE vehicles has cross-party support, with the shadow climate change minister Matthew Pennycook, re-iterating Labour’s policy on a 2030 ban claiming it was an “ambitious but achievable date” and would also act as an incentive for the UK car industry to grow in a clean technological direction.
Concern has previously arise about infrastructure related to the growth of electric vehicles, but the National Grid claims the additional requirement of a third more in demand for electricity could be “easily coped with” by the Grid, especially with overnight and non-peak charging.
