New petrol and diesel cars to be banned from 2030

New cars and vans powered wholly by petrol and diesel will not be sold in the UK from 2030 – ten years earlier than originally planned – Prime Minister Boris Johnson has confirmed.

However, some hybrids will still be allowed, he confirmed. It is part of what Mr Johnson calls a “green industrial revolution” to tackle climate change and create jobs in industries such as nuclear energy.

The decision was made as part of an ambitious ten-point plan which, the government says, will support up to 250,000 British jobs.

Says Prime Minister Boris Johnson:

“Although this year has taken a very different path to the one we expected, I haven’t lost sight of our ambitious plans to level up across the country. My Ten Point Plan will create, support and protect hundreds of thousands of green jobs, whilst making strides towards net-zero by 2050.

“Our green industrial revolution will be powered by the wind turbines of Scotland and the North East, propelled by the electric vehicles made in the Midlands and advanced by the latest technologies developed in Wales, so we can look ahead to a more prosperous, greener future.”

Adds a spokesperson from the Data Communications Company (DCC) – the organisation that operates a wireless infrastructure which underpins the country’s network of smart energy meters.

“The Government’s new green plan is exciting for everyone who’s working to help Britain cut its carbon emissions. The decision to invest £1.3bn in electric vehicle (EV) charging points is of particular significance, as this will boost deployment and usage of EV charging in both public spaces and on private driveways.

“To increase EV adoption and meet the ambitious target of no more new petrol or diesel cars by 2030, drivers will need an easy-to-use, secure and fair charging network – one that delivers a consistent consumer experience everywhere. And to protect our grid from this considerable new demand for electricity, the energy industry needs to be able to control load, based on high quality data.”

To support EV (electric vehicle) acceleration, the Prime Minister announced:

• £1.3 billion to accelerate the rollout of charge points for electric vehicles in homes, streets and on motorways across England, so people can more easily and conveniently charge their cars.
• £582 million in grants for those buying zero or ultra-low emission vehicles to make them cheaper to buy and incentivise more people to make the transition.
• Nearly £500 million to be spent in the next four years for the development and mass-scale production of electric vehicle batteries, as part of its commitment to provide up to £1 billion, boosting international investment into strong manufacturing bases including in the Midlands and North East.

However, critics say the £4bn allocated to implement the 10-point plan is far too small for the scale of the challenge. The total amount of new money announced in the package is a 25th of the projected £100bn cost of the high-speed rail, HS2.