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Britain could accelerate the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars as the government would be ready to push the measure forward for another five years.
The ban, which aims to push the UK towards its climate targets, was initially slated to be implemented in 2040, but in February, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that new traditional petrol and diesel models will not be available for purchase from 2035.
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Now the date could be pushed further to 2030, the Financial Times said Saturday, citing industry and government officials. The same was previously reported by the BBC. The decision could be formally announced next week, according to the FT.
The new plan may not target sales of hybrid cars with electric motors and engines, which are expected to be available for another 15 years.
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Earlier this week, Cambridge Econometrics economists called on the government to speed up the ban on sales until 2030. According to their calculations, such a green initiative will create over 30,000 new jobs and increase GDP by 0.2 %. Greenpeace has also previously called for a decade to be shortened from the initial schedule, arguing that economic activity and employment rates will increase.
While some manufacturers have already stated that the times are “too tight” and complained of possible leaks, there is concern that the switch to electric cars could be painful for customers, as vehicles are generally more expensive. Lack of accessible charging infrastructure could be another problem. While the number of public charging devices in the UK has grown rapidly in recent years, less than 20% of nearly 19,500 charging points across the country have fast devices. Unless drivers use a fast charger, it may take several hours to “fill up” the vehicle.
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