Ban on new combustion engines
Ban on new combustion engines – All new petrol and diesel-powered cars and vans are set to be banned from sale in the UK in 2035, following a government move to postpone the measure that was originally scheduled to come into effect in 2030.
The change of policy announced by Rishi Sunak brings the UK into line with the EU and many other global markets, and means that from 2035 the only new cars and vans that can be sold will be pure electric ones, plus any hydrogen-powered cars, that may exist at that point.
Second-hand cars will be unaffected by the ICE (internal combustion engine) ban, and may be bought and sold freely just as now. That means that very many older petrol and diesel cars, plus conventional hybrids and plug-in models, are likely to be in use long after the 2035 deadline for selling new ones.
Although the UK has yet to publish details of how the 2035 ban will work, it’s unlikely to differ much from the EU’s plan to ban the sale of petrol and diesel cars from 2035. That means we’re likely to see exemptions in place for low-volume or specialist manufacturers. However, while the EU intends to provide further exemptions for internal combustion engined cars powered exclusively by efuels, the UK government has so far made no plans to offer efuel exemptions here.
