The United Kingdom announced plans to completely ban the sale of new gasoline and diesel vehicles by 2035. The plan is years earlier than was originally planned, putting added pressure on the global automotive industry that is already dealing with stricter global emission regulations from other markets.
The plan was outlined in a statement by the UK government on Tuesday, stating that the measure was necessary for its fight against the global climate crisis. The measure is also in line with the United Kingdom's much wider goal of cutting carbon emissions to "net zero" by 2050. Interestingly, the measure will also even cover hybrid vehicles for the first time.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson mentioned in a speech in London ahead of the UN climate conference later in the year that it was the UK's responsibility to lead the planet's fight against climate change. The UK's accelerated timetable was immediately met with criticism from global automotive manufacturers, with most pointing the government's inconsistency in providing specifics for its electric vehicle subsidy and lack of plans for establishing a charging infrastructure.
The chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, Mike Hawes, mentioned that the government's sudden decision to accelerate the ban on gasoline and diesel vehicles is a critical issue. Hawes added that the current for these types of technologies is just a fraction of actual sales at this time. An acceleration of the rollout of the technology is already very challenging and it would take a lot of industry investment to meet the UK's ambitious goals.
The United Kingdom's commitment puts it in the top position among a number of other countries that have already announced plans to phase out gas and diesel-powered cars. Norway originally announced that it will require all new passenger cars and vans that will be sold in the country to be zero-emission cars by 2025. India followed suit and announced that it wants all new vehicles to be emission-free by 2030.
Greenpeace's Head of Politics in the UK, Rebecca Newsom, mentioned in a statement that internal combustion engines in the UK and other countries should have been banned sooner. Newsom specified that these types of vehicles should have been removed by 2030 at the very latest.
While the goals are very ambitious, Carmakers have stated that it would require a quick and radical transformation in the car market. While electric-powered vehicle sales had drastically increased, by about 144 percent last year, the overall sales of these vehicles still represent just 2 percent of the total car sales globally. Hybrid vehicle sales only made up about 8 percent of the total vehicle sales year.
