Support for Delay of 2030 Petrol and Diesel Car Ban

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【Summary】Nearly two-thirds of UK drivers (60.1%) support the government's decision to delay the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles to 2035, according to a survey. Reasons for the delay include concerns about charging infrastructure, expense of electric cars, range limitations, and preference for petrol or diesel vehicles. The proposed Zero Emissions Vehicle Mandate will still be implemented, requiring carmakers to have a certain percentage of electric car sales starting from next year.

FutureCar Staff Oct 03, 2023 6:20 AM PT

Support for Delay of 2030 Petrol and Diesel Car Ban

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 delayed until 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 be required to have 22% of their sales made up of Electric cars. This percentage will gradually increase to 80% by 2030 and reach 100% by 2035.

Out of the 1056 participants in the survey, 43.3% of those in favor of the delay mentioned concerns about the readiness of charging infrastructure by the original 2030 deadline. Other reasons 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 with the original ban timeframe. Some respondents simply stated their preference for driving petrol or diesel vehicles, accounting for 14.5% of those who agreed with the delay.