UK will have to follow EU and delay ban on sale of diesel and petrol cars, experts warn
Britain’s ban on new petrol and diesel cars will need to be delayed after it emerged the EU is ready to push back on its own pressure, senior industry figures have suggested.
At the heart of the warning is concern that a U-turn on the continent would mean not enough electric vehicles will be produced in the next five years for the UK to progress its plans.
The EU was due to ban new petrol and diesel cars from 2035, five years after a similar ban was introduced in the UK, but the measure will be relaxed as early as next week after pressure from carmakers and powerful countries in the bloc such as Germany and Italy.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Friday that he “supported” an escalation, saying “the reality is that there will be millions of combustion engine-based cars worldwide in 2035, 2040 and 2050.”
Amid concerns about the future of one of Europe’s most important sectors and a growing threat from China, Manfred Weber, chairman of the EPP, the largest party in the European Parliament, said it “sends an important signal to the entire automotive industry and secures tens of thousands of industrial jobs”.
The UK’s net zero policies, led by environment minister Ed Miliband, include a ban on the sale of pure petrol and diesel cars from 2030. Dr Andy Palmer, former chief executive of Aston Martin, said the UK should follow the EU’s lead as so many vehicles are traded between the two regions.
“This becomes very difficult because if the EU lifts the ban, factories there will not be able to increase EV (electric vehicle) production as predicted. There will not be enough EVs to meet the demand needed in the UK,” he said. Times. Other industry sources told the newspaper that the review of the regulation determining the proportion of vehicles sold by vehicle manufacturers that must be green for 2027 should be brought forward.
But supporters of the instruments have urged the EU to stick to its current plan.
Chris Heron, secretary general of trade body E-Mobility Europe, said: “Europe must provide a clear investment signal for the transition to electric vehicles. Weakening the 2035 target would be a worrying step backwards, dragging us back to yesterday’s technologies and undermining industries investing in Europe’s electric future.”
A government spokesman said: “We remain committed to phasing out sales of all new non-zero-emission cars and vans by 2035. More drivers than ever are opting for electric vehicles and November sales saw another month of growth, with one in four cars sold being an EV.”
Major automobile manufacturers, including Volkswagen, Renault, Mercedes-Benz and BMW, expressed their opinion in favor of the EU lifting the ban. They warn that consumers are not buying electric vehicles in the numbers expected when the 2035 date is confirmed in 2022.
