Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has deferred the diesel and petrol car ban from 2030 to 2035.
Here motoring expert from She Talks Cars Abigayle Andre shares her opinion on Rishi’s announcement and what the ban will really mean for motorists.
Let’s all do a slow clap for Rishi Sunak and his latest sleight of hand trick, shall we?
The 2030 car ban was initially meant to be 2035, first announced by Michael Gov in 2017. But an ambitious Boris Johnson brought it forward to 2030, three years ago. Fast forward to now and the current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced we’re pushing it back again.
Why? Because he’s decided it ‘isn’t right for the working British public to have costs imposed on them or extra hassle’. While I do agree with the sentiment Rishi, the 2030 ban isn’t where I’d have my attention if that’s what you’re looking to achieve.
It’s quite clear after the announcement, that many people don’t understand what the 2030 ban is and still don’t, having scoured comments on social media. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve read a variation of ‘I can keep my car longer!’.
But the reality is, whether the ban was in 2030 or 2035, you’d still be able to keep your petrol or diesel car and you could still buy and sell a used one.
What you couldn’t do was buy a brand new one in seven years time.
But the average driver in the UK doesn’t buy brand new cars.
For every brand new car bought in the UK, two used cars are purchased.
And of the new cars purchased, the current stats from SMMT show the appetite for Battery Electric Vehicles far exceeds Diesel ones.
This year alone new car sales of electric vehicles have grown by 40.5% in the UK, new Diesel vehicle sales have dropped by 17.5% and petrol new car sales are up by 13%. (Stats from SMMT)
So with that in mind, how many people would truly be affected by the ban in SEVEN years time? Probably not as many as you’d think.
What will affect us though, is the loss of jobs the transition would create, the private investment it attracted and the better air quality we’d have experienced fiver years sooner.
Rishi has however, pledged to invest hundreds of millions of tax payer money into Tata-owned Jaguar Land Rover for their £4 Billion electric car battery gigafactory. Seems he is for the transition after all eh? Or is it just votes. Who knows.
No reforms on ULEZ, 2025’s Euro 7 Emissions Regulations or fuel duty have been announced.
I see what you did there Mr Sunak. Bravo. You played a blinder.
