Vehicle manufacturers call for petrol and diesel ban to be pushed back

Grant Shapps, The Transport Secretory, reveals that vehicle manufacturers are requesting that the current 2030 ban be pushed back five years to 2035, as it would be a “more realistic” target date

 

This came during a meeting in March where the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) gathered key stakeholders from vehicle manufacturers to raise their concerns on meeting zero emissions targets to discuss with the Government.

Co-chairing the 2nd Zero Emission Vehicle Transition council, Shapps commented that “many of the manufacturers felt the DfT needed to set an end date for sale of vehicles with internal combustion engines, with many suggesting a realistic phase out date could be 2035… combined with incentives and tax support, they thought that such a deadline would help drive the acceleration of zero emission vehicles until the time when price parity is achieved with petrol models.”

These comments however are not necessarily new, as a recent Fleet News survey saw that 29% of fleets also agreed that a 2030 felt too soon for a ban on petrol and diesel car sales.

Completed by 600 fleet decision makers, the survey actually did show that 21% would have preferred a ban from 2035 originally, with 22% opting for 2040 – the very first date chosen by the Government.

At the moment, it is still as confirmed by the Department for Transport (DfT) in November 2020, that new petrol and diesel cars and vans will not be allowed to be sold in the UK from 2030, and that the sale of hybrid cars and vans that can drive a significant distance with no carbon coming out of the tailpipe, will remain on sale until 2035.

Shapps further commented that the manufacturers were clear that they are looking for governments to provide a “stable policy framework” that will itself help stimulate electric vehicle demand, and in particular, that manufacturers highlighted to DfT that investment in charging infrastructure and the development of viable batteries as critical prerequisites to a thriving EV market.

SMMT chief executive, Mike Hawes, recently said the Government and other stakeholders must put ordinary drivers at the heart of policy and planning. "We need incentives that tempt consumers, infrastructure that is robust and charging points that provide reassurance, so that zero-emission mobility will be possible for everyone, regardless of income or location.

"When every market is vying for these new technologies, a clear and collaborative strategy engaging all would ensure the UK remains an attractive place both to manufacture and market electric vehicles, helping us achieve our net zero ambition."

It has been now been agreed between the DfT and the vehicle manufacturers, that the degree of investment and industrial development required to transform the market would be “very significant”, and the DfT is now in fact inviting vehicle manufacturers to present their plans in September to phase out petrol and diesel vehicles as part of the Government’s ambition to work more closely with the industry.

What’s more, it’s expected that later in spring, the DfT will consult on phasing out diesel heavy goods vehicles and publish a Transport Decarbonisation Plan, which will explain how all transport will achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

Yet as for now, Shapps’ comments suggest that there is scope for the deadline to be pushed back from 2030, but further clarity for the industry will likely be confirmed later this year.