The UK Labour government is leading the way to a cleaner future, reinstating a ban on internal combustion engine vehicles that was pushed back by its Conservative predecessors.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said in a January news release that no new petrol or diesel vehicles will be sold after 2030 and all new cars and vans must be 100% zero emission by 2035. Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in 2023 delayed the ban on new petrol and diesel vehicles until 2035.
The announcement earmarked £6 billion in private investment through 2030 to improve charging infrastructure and "speed up grid connections."
There is wiggle room, though, Auto Express explained: The government is consulting the automotive and chargepoint industries on the transition.
Labour said it would "consider stakeholders' preferences on technology choices and the types of vehicles permitted between 2030 and 2035 alongside ZEVs."
It had already agreed to enter discussions with automakers about zero-emission vehicles, according to Auto Express; automakers can be fined if their sales of new vehicles don't feature a certain percentage of ZEVs. Stellantis said it would close its Luton plant because of the mandates, and Ford said it would cut 800 jobs by the end of 2027.
The position of the previous government led Australian billionaire Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest to threaten to move his investments from the United Kingdom to North America — or to "where I know I have proper leadership, not leadership which is on a clickbait cycle," he said.
Nissan took a similar stand. The Japanese automaker said that despite the movement of the ban from 2030 to 2035, it would still sell only fully electric vehicles in Europe by 2030.
This kind of pressure is necessary to meet the growing urgency of decarbonization. The rapid heating of the planet — driven by the burning of dirty fuel sources such as gas and oil — is only ramping up, with each of the 10 hottest years on record occurring in the last decade. ZEVs can help decrease the polluting gases that envelop Earth like a blanket as well as save consumers money and heighten their experiences.
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Cost 💰 Alexander said: "This shift promises cleaner air and quieter streets, enhancing the quality of life in our communities. British people and businesses are already embracing electric vehicles because they are cheaper to run, great to drive and simpler to maintain."
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