Petrol and diesel hybrid cars will still be sold after the 2040 ‘fossil fuel’ ban
The move by the government to make hybrid cars exempt from the ban has been welcomed by the car industry, but angered environmental campaigners
The government has confirmed that petrol and diesel hybrid cars will still be sold in 2040, in a move that has angered environmental campaigners.
Last year ministers pledged to ban the sale of all new cars powered by petrol or diesel in 2040, but the transport secretary Chris Grayling recently confirmed that hybrid cars – those powered by electricity as well as either petrol or diesel – would be exempt from the ban.
The ban is part of the government’s Road to Zero campaign to reduce air pollution, and now also includes a target for at half of all new cars bought in 2030 to be ultra-low emission. Although it doesn’t make any commitments, the government’s strategy aims to have “all new cars and vans to have significant zero-emission capability” by 2040 and “almost” every car and van to be completely emission free by 2050.
Transport minister Chris Grayling said he believes the best approach is to directly influence car buyers, saying
“I want it to be easier for electric vehicle drivers to recharge than for motorists to visit a filling station. I want them to choose electric cars because they are so convenient.”
Grayling said that a delayed fund of £400 million will be launched this summer to help increase charging infrastructure across the country, which will see thousands more charging points on the nation’s streets and in homes and workplaces.
Environmental groups have accused the government of weakening its commitments in light of the exemption of hybrid vehicles. Greenpeace responded by claiming that the motor industry had “yet again been given a free pass” and that the government’s stated targets were weak in comparison to international standards.
The Campaign for Better Transport also responded by saying it was “disappointed” and described the move as “a step backwards, giving concessions to keeping hybrids on the road, which will water down the already inadequate 2040 target”.
The government’s apparent climb down regarding hybrids comes after the motor industry had argued that the 2040 targets had begun to contribute to consumer fears over diesel-powered cars, which have seen sales crash over the past year. Cheif executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, Mike Hawes, said the new approach recognised “the vital role conventional engines, including diesel, will continue to play in the transition to 2040 and beyond”.
Mr Hawes said that while the motor industry welcomed the news that hybrids would be exempt from the 2040 ban, it still held concerns regarding the 2030 targets for “ultra-low emission” vehicles”. He said:
“We need realistic ambition levels and measures that support industry’s efforts, allow manufacturers time to invest, innovate and sell competitively, and provide the right incentives and infrastructure to take the consumer with us”.
Read more:
- Electric car lease deals
- Exhaust emissions – a complete guide to what comes out of your car’s exhaust
- Breakthrough in energy storage technology could mean electric cars may soon have the same range as petrol and diesel cars
- Electric cars will be cheaper than petrol cars within a decade – new study
Get a free quote and save money on car insurance with Bobatoo
Or see:
- What You Need to Know about Hybrid Cars
- 26% of British drivers would be prepared to sleep in a self-driving car
- Car Insurers Report a 600% Increase in Catalytic Converter Thefts
- Petrol, Diesel and Hybrid Car Ban Brought Forward to 2035
- UK government to pump £40 MILLION into this clever ‘pavement technology’
- Parents to be BANNED from driving children to school in bid to cut pollution levels
- UK is already behind targets for electric car infrastructure
- Revealed: The most - and least - electric car friendly towns and cities in the UK
Latest Posts
- Petrol, Diesel and Hybrid Car Ban Brought Forward to 2035
- Green number plates will allow electric cars to use bus lanes and access cheaper parking
- Electric car owners should be able to choose the noise that their car makes
- New battery technology could make electric vehicles cheaper and more accessible
- The most popular electric cars in the UK revealed
- UK is already behind targets for electric car infrastructure
- Nearly half of UK drivers say they can't afford to buy an electric car
- How far can electric cars really travel on a single charge? New study reveals true range of electric cars