Johnson plans British ban on sale of new petrol/diesel cars from 2030

British prime minister Boris Johnson plans next week to announce a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030, five years earlier than previously planned, the Financial Times has reported.

Britain had originally planned to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel-powered cars from 2040 as part of efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and in February Mr Johnson had brought this forward to 2035.

Citing unidentified industry and government figures, the FT said Mr Johnson now intended to move the date forward again to 2030, to be announced in a speech on environmental policy he is expected to give next week.

The BBC reported a similar plan earlier on Saturday, without giving any sources.

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Under the 2019 Climate Action Plan, the Irish Government proposes to ban the sale of petrol and diesel cars by the end of this decade when only zero-emission cars and no internal combustion engine vehicles will be available for sale.

An €7.50 increase in the Irish carbon tax – an increase that is to be replicated annually for the next decade – adopted in Budget 2021 last month has added about €1.30 to the cost of an average 60-litre tank of petrol, and €1.50 to a tank of diesel. By this means it is intended to reach a €100 per tonne carbon tax by 2030.

In Britain, a Downing Street spokeswoman declined to comment on the reports or the content of Mr Johnson’s upcoming speech.

The FT said the new timetable was not expected to apply to some hybrid cars which use a mixture of electric and fossil fuel propulsion and could still be sold until 2035.

An end to the sale of new petrol and diesel cars would mark a huge shift in Britain’s automotive market.

Industry figures show that petrol and diesel powered cars accounted for 73.6 per cent of new car sales so far this year, while just 5.5 per cent of sales were for pure electric vehicles, which are typically more expensive.

Hybrid vehicles of various types made up the remaining sales. – Reuters