In November 2020, the UK government announced the banning of sales of all new petrol and diesel cars and vans in the UK in 2030, 10 years sooner than the previous target.

This is a key element in Boris Johnsons’ ten-point plan to have carbon emissions be net-zero by 2050. This ban is just one way in which the UK is undertaking the Green Industrial Revolution. The UK is one of the leading countries with this ban, being on par with Ireland, Sweden and the Netherlands, with only Norway having a closer date of 2025.

With less than 10 years until this ban comes into place, we thought it was time to summarise how this will affect UK drivers.

Which vehicles are affected?

This ban will apply to the sale of all new diesel and petrol cars.

You will still be able to drive your current combustion-powered vehicle after 2030, but you may encounter some changes in charges, or restrictions in where you can travel due to the increasing number of Ultra-Low Emission Zones (ULEZ), already found in London, with many cities following suit in 2021 such as Newcastle, Birmingham, Bath and many more.

Second-hand cars will not be affected by the ban, however, so you will still be able to buy or lease used cars.

The sale of some hybrids will be allowed until 2035 though. The Prime Minister announced new hybrids can remain on sale until 2035 as long as they can cover a significant net-zero distance. Although what constitutes a significant distance is yet to be specified, it is likely to be Plug-in Hybrids (PHEVs).

This ban also applies to the sale of new vans and trucks. As a van user, the change shouldn’t be too impactful though, with some great alternatives to the traditional petrol / diesel options like the Mercedes eVito or Nissan e-NV200.

The only vehicles this ban does not affect are HGVs as current electric vehicle technology is unlikely to cope with the long range required for these journeys, so there is no date set for banning these yet.

Is the UK ready?

Government investments

The government announced at the end of 2020 it will be investing £1.3bn in charging infrastructure to cope with the demand increases. This will include on-street residential charge points, workplace charging schemes, and ultra-rapid public charging points at service stations and major roads. The government has also committed to supporting the development and mass production of batteries for EVs, with Mr Johnson announcing up to £1bn available for developing these Gigafactories.

Sales trend

In 2020, the sales of fully electric vehicles’ rose by 180% to over 100,000 vehicles from 2019 to 2020, now accounting for 6.6% of the entire UK market.

EV Affordability

Many drivers are aware of the higher purchasing or leasing cost associated with electric vehicles compared to traditional petrol / diesel vehicles. However, due to the falling production costs of batteries, and the adoption of mass production, the gap between the price of electric vehicles and combustion cars is narrowing fast. This increasingly competitive pricing coupled with these electric vehicles lower running costs and tax breaks, means they are likely to continue to surge in popularity far before the 2030 ban comes into place. Even in 2021, an all-electric Volkswagen e-Up can be leased for less than £185 a month at Pink Car Leasing.

Lease an electric car in 2021

It is clear electric vehicles are about to take over the UK car and van market dramatically in the next 10 years.

If you are considering switching to an electric car, why not start by browsing through Pink Car Leasing’s Electric Car Leasing Deals.