Drivers' Majority Backs Postponement of 2030 Petrol and Diesel Car Prohibition

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【Summary】Nearly two-thirds of UK drivers (60.1%) support the government's decision to delay the ban on petrol and diesel cars until 2035. Reasons for the support include concerns about charging infrastructure, the expense and limited range of electric cars, and a preference for traditional vehicles. The proposed Zero Emissions Vehicle Mandate will still require carmakers to increase the percentage of electric car sales each year.

FutureCar Staff Oct 03, 2023 9:23 AM PT

Drivers' Majority Backs Postponement of 2030 Petrol and Diesel Car Prohibition

Nearly two-thirds of UK drivers (60.1%) support the UK Government's decision to postpone the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles until 2035, according to a recent survey conducted by What Car? among car buyers in the market.

In 2017, the Government announced that new Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) cars and vans would be prohibited from being sold in the UK starting from 2030. However, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recently announced that the ban would be pushed back to 2035. Despite the delay, the proposed Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate will still be implemented. This means that starting from January next year, carmakers will need to have 22% of their sales as Electric cars, with the percentage increasing gradually to 80% by 2030 and reaching 100% by 2035.

Out of the 1056 participants in the survey, 43.3% of those in favor of the delay expressed concerns about the readiness of charging infrastructure by the original 2030 deadline. Other reasons cited for supporting the delay included worries about the cost of electric cars, the limited range of battery-powered vehicles, and the potential negative impact on UK businesses if the ban were implemented according to the original timeframe. Additionally, 14.5% of respondents who agreed with the delay simply stated their preference for driving petrol or diesel vehicles.