8:41 am, January 2, 2025
EV campaigners are lobbying the government to ban full hybrids from 2030 as part of a consultation on the future of the 2030 ban.
The Department for Transport (DfT) has pledged to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from January 1 2030 and is currently consulting on what other types of new cars – such as full hybrids – can be sold between that date and the end of 2034.
As part of the talks, ministers have been warned that failing to ban the sale of new hybrid cars with no plug from 2030 would be ‘a catastrophic misstep’
Representative body Electric Vehicles UK (EVUK) has warned the government that allowing sales of the vehicles to continue beyond the 2030 date would have a ‘profound’ impact on consumer confidence in the UK’s commitment to electric motoring.
EVUK chief executive Dan Caesar said he was not opposed to new plug-in hybrids being sold between 2030 and 2035, but called for those without a plug to be outlawed.
He told the PA news agency: ‘The inclusion of full hybrid technology would be a catastrophic misstep and make a laughingstock of the UK Government’s world-leading zero-emission vehicle policy.
‘If lobbyists do persuade Government to include full hybrids it would be a big backwards move.
‘The ramifications for the nascent EV industry and for fragile consumer confidence could be profound.
‘Holding the line and creating certainty around EVs has the potential to be a key measure towards revitalising a sluggish economy.’
In response to the comments, former Aston Martin and Nissan boss Dr Andy Palmer, said full hybrids remain ‘a better solution’ than mild hybrids but added they used ‘a technology that belongs to the late 1990s’.
The debate comes at the same time as the government also consults on potential changes to the controversial ZEV mandate, which lays out that manufacturers must sell a minimum percentage of pure electric cars each year.
The threshold will rise from 22% in 2024 to 28% in 2025, and is set to reach 80% in 2030.
The consultation, which runs until February 18, includes increasing the flexibilities following pressure from some parts of the automotive industry after they claimed the mandate was putting jobs on the line.
Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said: ‘The automotive industry is fully committed to the decarbonisation of road transport, which is fundamental to the nation’s 2050 net-zero ambition.
‘Manufacturers are pursuing their own strategies to get us there, and that competition is delivering a range of technologies, products and compelling market offers.
‘Success depends on consumers having the confidence to switch and that also means fast, affordable and accessible infrastructure investment right across the UK, at a pace and scale that matches the automotive industry.’
A DfT spokesperson said: ‘We are consulting with industry on which cars, including which types of hybrid cars, can be sold alongside fully zero-emission vehicles from 2030.
‘Drivers are already embracing electric vehicles faster than ever, and 2024 was a record year for the UK new car market, with the strongest overall growth of any major European market.
‘Industry will help us shape the transition to zero-emissions vehicles in a way that works for businesses, drivers, and the environment.
‘Together we can capitalise on the clean energy transition to support thousands of jobs, make the UK a clean energy superpower, and rebuild Britain.’
