Concern over potential delay to 2030 ICE sales ban
Concern has arisen about the potential roll-back of the current phase out date of petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030 after the Prime Minister failed to confirm it will go-ahead as planned.
The news follows by-election results last week, which saw Labour lose to the Conservatives in former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip, with some stating Labour Mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s plans for an Ultra-Low Emissions Zone in the area were to blame for the defeat.
As a result, both Labour leader Kier Starmer and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak have been put under pressure by national media and politicians to spell out their green transport strategies, and a re-appraisal of their policies.
Craig Mackinlay MP has called on Sunak to delay the ban until “at least” 2035 and former Brexit negotiator Lord Frost said green policies were “very unpopular” due to their direct cost, and called for a re-assessment of the 2030 deadline.
Additionally, John Redwood MP asked the government to “act to stop so many attacks on motorists”, although he didn’t explain how EV drivers would be classified under a different category.
According to The Telegraph, Sunak has said he wanted to tackle the climate crisis in a “proportionate and pragmatic” way and when questioned on the ZEV mandate appeared to not directly show commitment to the date. But a later statement from the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said that the ICE ban “remains our commitment”, but also re-iterated that it wanted to “ensure that this approach is proportionate and pragmatic and doesn’t unfairly impact the public”.
The news comes as Starmer has also been put under pressure, and said Labour must “learn the lessons” of the by-election defeat in Uxbridge.
But the green transport industry has widely criticised the moves. Adrian Keen, CEO of public charging network, InstaVolt said it would be “completely unacceptable” to extend the ICE ban beyond 2030.
He said: “The timing of these calls is particularly eye raising given the wildfires in Rhodes and record-breaking temperatures this week. It shows a lack of ambition and selfishness from politicians who somehow seem to forget the climate crisis isn’t on the way, it is already here.
“These pledges and their outcomes will provide tangible improvements and help clean up dirty air. We know these policies aren’t always easy to deliver on, but they are integral to the delivery of sustainable transport in polluting cities and towns. Without government advocacy and support, consumer confidence will continue to dwindle when we need it most. The government said they would “Build Back Green” – these rumblings fly in the face of these pledges.”
Speaking to Transport + Energy, Quentin Willson, Motoring Journalist and Founder of FairCharge, commented: ”For the Conservatives to weaponise the 2030 combustion car and van sales deadline for electoral reasons is scandalous. If this Government changes their EV policies the many billions already spent by car makers and charge point operators will be imperilled and they will just move their investment and factories to other countries where electrification is understood, promoted and supported.
”Any policy shift risks the UK automotive industry and its £8 billion contribution to GDP and the UK will be left as an uncompetitive, backward-looking nation of diesel-driving dinosaurs, shackled forever to monopolistic foreign oil and gas cartels. The unintended consequences of this craven, short-sighted electioneering are very grave indeed.’’
A spokesperson for ChargeUK said: “Members have committed over £6 billion to roll out EV infrastructure in all parts of the UK at an unprecedented rate, creating good, sustainable jobs, supporting the switch to EVs and thereby reducing emissions and improving air quality for all.
“The phase out of petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030 will be gradual. If government fails to stand firm to its commitments this investment and the supply of EVs entering the market will be at risk.
“ChargeUK members are already providing the infrastructure to support the electrification of transport and to usher in a cleaner future. ChargeUK members are committed to making the UK the best place to own and charge an EV and key to that is having the right charging infrastructure in the right place.”
Ginny Buckley, Founder & CEO of Electrifying.com, told Transport + Energy: “The car industry has been gearing up for electrification for well over a decade – not just in the UK, but globally. With the number of electric models available to car buyers set to increase dramatically over the coming years and this means that the market will inevitably lead the way.
“The mixed messages coming out of Westminster today are confusing not only for car buyers, but for the wider industry. Instead of political point scoring, politicians need to step out of their Westminster bubble and help consumers get ready for the switch.
“This means providing the right incentives rather than taking them away, ensuring our public charging infrastructure is reliable by reducing the red tape and rules that are holding back its roll out, and cutting through the confusion about what the ban means for people – and how it will affect them in practice.”
Mark Constable, Chair of RECHARGE UK – the EV arm of the REA (Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology) – said: ”The ZEV mandate is vital to give certainty to current activities and current investments. Any delay to the timescale of a carbon emission- based policy, on the basis of perceived localised opposition to air quality measures, will confuse consumers, unsettle investors and create uncertainty in everyone who is delivering the EV transition.
”It is vital that the government does not turn away from one of its most successful policy programmes in the fight against climate change, and in doing so also condemn urban dwellers to prolonged poor air quality in their communities.”
Melanie Shufflebotham, co-founder and COO, Zapmap: “The country’s future climate commitments should not be a political football, especially when the signs of global heating are so visible today. Road transport accounts for around 20% of all our emissions, and electric vehicles are a proven technology solution.
“The 2030 ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars has given business the confidence to invest — an entire industry is working towards meeting this deadline and it is well within reach. In spite of the recent surge in misinformation, the facts are that charging infrastructure is rolling out at pace, electric sales are strong despite a challenging economy, and existing EV drivers are happier with their vehicles than those still driving petrol. The government must be like a handbrake-less electric car, and not roll back.”
Matthew Adams, Transport Policy Manager at the REA (Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology) said: “The 2030/35 deadline set out in the ZEV Mandate Consultation published earlier this year by DfT is the most important deadline the Government has set so far for decarbonisation of road transport. The 2035 end of sale of internal combustion engine vehicles target was introduced to realise the greatest carbon savings to keep 1.5 degrees by 2050 a realistic target.
”Without this measure there is simply no hope that the UK will only warm by 1.5 degrees. We must decarbonise now, and road transport is one of the biggest contributors to carbon emissions presently. Considering the pushback against ULEZ recently by both the Conservative’s and some in Labour it is important to also highlight why such a policy has become necessary. We saw in 2020 the announcement that Ella Kissi-Debrah’s, a nine year, who died in February 2013 was in part caused by the failure to reduce pollution levels to legal limits.
”Her death is a constant and tragic reminder that we must do more to protect the public from dangerous levels of air pollution. Indeed 1in 12 adults and 1 in 11 children have asthma or 5.5 million people in the UK and we must do more to improve the appalling air quality in London and across the UK and encourage greater levels of decarbonisation, we cannot afford to take a back seat.”
RAC electric vehicle spokesperson Simon Williams said: “It’s clearly vital that we decarbonise road transport, but it’s also important that all drivers benefit from the switch to electric. Currently, that’s challenging due to the high cost of EVs and the lack of availability of affordable models on the second-hand market. We also know from RAC research that the cost-of-living crisis is causing drivers to hold on to their cars for longer, so this is likely to be an issue for the new car market as a whole, although electric car sales are vibrant thanks primarily to many businesses opting for them. If the Government was to move away from the 2030 deadline, it would simply be kicking the can further down the road while potentially harming EV sales and slowing down the roll-out of much-needed additional charging infrastructure.
“We think it’s important the Government reviews whether its current policies are doing enough to get UK drivers to make the switch en masse. Reintroducing a form of plug-in car grant aimed solely at cheaper electric models would be a bold but ultimately positive move that would tempt people away from petrol and diesel models next time they change their vehicles. And, for those who regularly make longer trips or who will never be able to charge an electric car up cheaply at home, a cut to the VAT rate at public chargers from 20% to match the 5% levied on domestic would also make going electric an easier choice.”
More industry reaction to follow.
