8:22 am, September 16, 2024
The government is expected perform a U-turn on its pledge to introduce an outright ban on the sale of petrols in 2030, and will allow hybrids to remain on sale for a further five years.
The 2030 outright ban on any new car powered by an internal combustion engine was a key pledge in Labour’s election manifesto, and was all part of a plan to reach next zero.
But, according to The Daily Telegraph, it’s now believed ministers are intending to back away from the promise.
It would mean that unlike pure petrol and diesel cars, hybrids would be allowed to remain on sale until 2035.
It’s thought a key driver in Labour’s new coldness towards the policy is a Europe-wide slowdown in electric vehicles, and lobbying from the UK’s manufacturing industry.
Quoted by the Telegraph, Helen Whately, the Conservatives’ shadow transport secretary, said Labour ‘either didn’t know what they were committing to’ during the election campaign ‘or have now realised it isn’t possible’.
Vertu Motors boss Robert Forrester went one step further over the weekend.
Posting on X, formerly Twitter, Forrester revealed the listed dealer group has called for an ‘urgent’ meeting with the government on the transition to electric cars.
Referring to the Telegraph article, Forrester said: ‘Progress if true but the transition to 2030 is still not achievable.
‘Let’s hope the minister responds to our request for an urgent meeting this week.’
Tory frontbencher Whately added: ‘This new plan is the worst of both worlds. It doesn’t do much to drive down emissions and it’s moving too fast for businesses and motorists.
‘Labour spent years in opposition telling everyone they’d give businesses certainty, but they’re backsliding within months.
‘This dithering creates a huge headache for manufacturers and ultimately hurts economic growth.’
A Labour source told the Telegraph on Saturday (Sept 14) that it was always the party’s policy to allow some hybrids to remain on sale past 2030.
A government spokesperson said: ‘This government’s policy has always been to revert to the original 2030 phase out date for the sale of new vehicles with pure internal combustion engines.
‘The original phase out date included the provision for some hybrid vehicle sales between 2030 and 2035. We will set out further details on this in due course.’
The decision could finally bring some clarity over the rules which have caused headaches in the car industry.
In July, the Society of Motor Manufacturers (SMMT) warned carmakers were worried that the Labour plan would mean ‘a complete end of everything that has a tailpipe’.
While it’s thought Labour has cooled on its intentions to introduce an outright ban for 2030, it believed ministers won’t make any changes to the current ZEV mandate.
The plan to force carmakers to sell 80% pure electric cars in 2030 ahead of a 100% quota in 2035 is expected to remain.
The government is expected to carry out a consultation on hybrids and publish clarity about which models – whether they be ‘mild’ hybrids or plug-in hybrids – would qualify for sale in the final five years.
