Now might be a good time to buy yourself a Tesla!
The UK government will ban the sale of new petrol & diesel cars and vans starting from 2040. The move is part of a huge £3 billion clean air strategy, unveiled at a time when the UK is struggling to meet EU emissions targets.
Once the new policy is in place it will still be legal to drive an old petrol or diesel vehicle, but you won’t be able to buy a new one. The government anticipates that electric vehicles will begin to replace fossil fuel cars during the 2020s, as technology continues to improve and prices come down.
Environment Secretary Michael Gove has warned that Britain “can’t carry on” with petrol and diesel cars because of the damage that they are doing to the public’s health and to the environment. “There is no alternative to embracing new technology” he said.
No scrappage scheme this time
Tough luck if you were hoping to see another scrappage scheme like the one introduced in 2009 – ministers have labelled that program “poor value for money” and say that there won’t be a similar one. Instead they plan to pump extra funding into local councils to help reduce congestion and tempt drivers into using public transport instead.
The AA have expressed their concern, stating that a significant investment would be needed to install enough charging points around the country, and warned that the National Grid would come under considerable pressure when everybody gets home and plugs in their car after rush hour. It’s thought that at least ten new power stations will be needed to meet the extra demand.
Over to you!
So what do you think? Is the 2040 deadline unreasonable, or not soon enough? Can we produce enough renewable energy to make the plan effective? Are you excited about owning an electric car? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below!