Reimposing ban on new petrols and diesels

author: FutureCar Staff    

The Labour party has announced its intention to reimpose the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 if it wins the next general election. Shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds stated that the party would reinstate the goal within months of taking power in order to provide certainty for the car industry. Additionally, councils would be given binding targets to install electric vehicle (EV) charging points to support the infrastructure.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Reynolds criticized the government's decision to delay the introduction of the ban by five years while still setting high quotas for zero-emission car sales through the ZEV mandate. He argued that this uncertainty was detrimental to carmakers and had stalled the British automotive industry. Reynolds emphasized that industry stakeholders, including the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, were in favor of the 2030 ban.

Reynolds is expected to outline these plans at the Labour party conference, held in Liverpool this week. The reintroduction of the 2030 ban is just one component of the party's broader industrial strategy. Prime Minister Boris Johnson had previously claimed that delaying the ban would save households money, but Reynolds disputed this, stating that EVs have cheaper lifetime costs compared to petrol cars. Labour also pledged to provide co-funding of approximately £1.5bn for new gigafactories in the UK, as well as expedite planning approval times for infrastructure projects and loosen planning rules to meet charging point targets.

Furthermore, Reynolds revealed that the £950m "rapid charging fund" and other funding that had been announced but not implemented would be released and redirected. Last month, the car industry expressed strong criticism of the delay to the 2030 ban, highlighting its concerns about the lack of consistent government policy.

FutureCar Staff