On 4 February, the government announced that it is consulting on bringing forward the end to the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans from 2040 to 2035, or earlier if a faster transition appears feasible, as well as including hybrids for the first time.
This reflects the Independent Committee on Climate Change’s advice on what is needed in order for the UK to end its contribution to climate change by 2050.
The proposals relate to new cars and vans – owners of existing petrol, diesel and hybrid cars and vans will still be able to use these vehicles and buy and sell them on the used market.
The Alliance of British Drivers (ABD) believes that free market forces should dictate when and if petrol, diesel and hybrids can be replaced and by what, and is asking for members of the public to complete a consultation in relation to their views.
The ABD believes electric vehicle cars and vans aren’t suitable for heavy use such as towing caravans or powering Motorhomes, whereas hybrids are a useful compromise.
A spokesperson for the ABD said: “It’s clear that EVs will also be banned as they are just ‘bridge technology’ to a complete ban on private car ownership, as revealed by The Parliamentary Select Committee on Science and Technology in August 2019.
”We welcome the submission of the public’s views as part of this consultation. We are interested in views on: the phase out date, the definition of what should be phased out, barriers to achieving the above proposals, the impact of these ambitions on different sectors of industry and society, and what measures are required by government and others to achieve the earlier phase out date.”
Image credit: Cliff Mahoney/ABD
