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 support include concerns about charging infrastructure, expense of electric cars, insufficient range, negative impact on UK businesses, and personal preference for petrol or diesel vehicles.

FutureCar Staff Oct 03, 2023 4:24 PM 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 declared that the ban would be pushed back to 2035. Despite the delay, the proposed Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate will still be implemented. This mandate requires carmakers to have 22% of their sales as Electric cars by January next year, gradually increasing 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 fear of limited range in battery-powered vehicles, and the belief that the original ban timeframe would have a negative impact on UK businesses. Some respondents simply stated a preference for driving petrol or diesel vehicles, accounting for 14.5% of those who agreed with the delay.