Ban on new petrol and diesel cars brought forward to 2030 by PM

Will Boris Johnson's 10 Point Plan to work towards a "Green Industrial Revolution" see the end of exhaust fumes...

Charging an Electric Car — The Plan will see only electric cars sold in the UK from 2030 (Image Credit: Kinwun - Adobe)

Climate Change has been hot-topic in recent years, and even more so in 2019/2020 with the large scale protests from the likes of Extinction Rebellion. To some, the PM's announcement to bring forward the 2040 target of banning the sale of new diesel and petrol cars and vans to 2030 will be welcome news... but not all. In order to boost the "green industrial revolution" Johnson has planned, £4bn has been set aside. Whilst critics claim this amount is far too small to implement such a wide spread plan, it has been stated by Business Secretary Alok Sharma to BBC Breakfast that the £4bn is, in fact, part of a much larger £12bn pack of public investment. With the promise also of the creation of 250,000 new jobs in the UK in sectors such as renewable energy and nuclear energy, it can sound like a positive proposal.

The full 10 Point Plan is as follows:

Offshore wind: Produce enough offshore wind to power every home in the UK, quadrupling how much it produces to 40 gigawatts by 2030, and supporting up to 60,000 jobs.
Hydrogen: Have five gigawatts of "low carbon" hydrogen production capacity by 2030 - for industry, transport, power and homes - and develop the first town heated by the gas by the end of the decade.
Nuclear: Pushing nuclear power as a clean energy source and including provision for a large nuclear plant, as well as for advanced small nuclear reactors, which could support 10,000 jobs.
Electric vehicles: Phasing out sales of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030 to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles and investing in grants to help buy cars and charge point infrastructure.
Public transport, cycling and walking: Making cycling and walking more attractive ways to travel and investing in zero-emission public transport for the future.
Jet zero and greener maritime: Supporting research projects for zero-emission planes and ships.
Homes and public buildings: Making homes, schools and hospitals greener, warmer and more energy efficient, including a target to install 600,000 heat pumps every year by 2028.
Carbon capture: Developing world-leading technology to capture and store harmful emissions away from the atmosphere, with a target to remove 10 million tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2030 - equivalent to all emissions of the industrial Humber.
Nature: Protecting and restoring the natural environment, with plans to include planting 30,000 hectares of trees a year.
Innovation and finance: Developing cutting-edge technologies and making the City of London the global centre of green finance.

BUT.... what does it mean for the automotive industry?

Leasing or Buying a New Car from 2030

As the plan sets out, you will be unable to lease or buy a new car or van from 2030 with a diesel or petrol engine. But this raises a lot of concerns for those not only in the automotive industry but also for every day drivers. In current times, we tailor our engine choice based on our driving style, the use of the vehicle, personal preference and budget. Where high mileage drivers opt for a diesel engine, low mileage drivers or "petrol heads" will favour a petrol engine, whether it be a small 1.0 litre or thirsty V8. For many, an electric car is either not practical or potentially out of budget.

If an electric car is for you then Pendle Lease have some great offers on leasing an electric vehicle.

Making the switch to an electric car in the UK — Many changes will need to be made to switch to electric cars, including service stations.

What do UK drivers think of the announcement?

Pendle Lease conducted a survey of 200 people asking them whether or not they welcomed the news on the ban of new diesel and petrol cars by 2030.

A resounding 81% stated that they were not pleased with the news at all. When we asked for some of the reasons why, some our top answers were:

The cars are not practical with current technology; range is not long enough and the charge is not quick enough when compared to filling up a car with fuel.
Electric cars are not physically appealing in general, and those that are often expensive.
Home charging is an issue for those living in flats/apartments. Charging at work is not always an option... what about weekends?

So, with the majority of the British public being against the idea it is clear that there is a lot more the government needs to be doing between now and 2030.