UK prime minister delays new petrol and diesel car ban

Rishi Sunak, prime minister of the United Kingdom, has delayed his government’s ambitious plan to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel-powered cars from 2030 to 2035.

The change-up is part of the nation’s new “pragmatic, proportionate and realistic” path to reaching its net zero carbon emissions goal by 2050.

Sunak also says that the ban was shifted back as a lot of progress has already been made in reaching its climate goal, with the UK supposedly slashing emissions by 48 per cent already.

“I expect by 2030 the vast majority of cars sold will be electric, because the costs are reducing, the range is improving, the charging infrastructure is growing,” says Sunak.

“I also think, at least for now, it should be you that makes that choice, not the government forcing you to do it. Because the upfront cost is high. We’ve got further to go to get the charging infrastructure in place.

“So to give us more time to prepare we’re going to ease the transition to electric vehicles. You’ll still be able to buy a combustion-engined vehicle until 2035.”

He also reaffirmed that petrol and diesel-powered cars can still be sold in the used market after 2035, as the ban only applied to new cars and always has done.

In New Zealand, the government has previously stated its intentions to ban the sale of all new internal combustion engine-powered (ICE) vehicles by 2040, if not earlier.

The Climate Change Commission recommends that the ban should come into effect by 2035, which would bring us in line with other countries like the UK, Canada, and Australian states such as ACT.