Prime Minister Keir Starmer has confirmed the Government will reinstate the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars. This will mark a significant milestone in the UK’s push toward a more sustainable, electric-powered future and reverses Rishi Sunak’s delay to 2035.
The ban, originally introduced in 2017 and moved forward under Boris Johnson, aims to reduce carbon emissions and align the UK with global efforts to meet net-zero targets. While new hybrid vehicles will still be allowed until 2035, only zero-emission cars will be permitted for sale after that.
The government has introduced new flexibilities in the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate to help manufacturers adjust. While stricter thresholds are being introduced, the fines for non-compliance have been reduced from £15,000 to £12,000 per vehicle, and smaller manufacturers like McLaren and Lotus are now exempt.
But for drivers, the bigger questions are: what does this mean if you already own a petrol, diesel, or hybrid car?
You’ll still be able to buy new hybrids until 2035, whether that’s a plug-in or full hybrid model. After that point, only zero-emission vehicles will be sold new in the UK. However, owning or driving a hybrid after this date is still allowed.
Hybrid cars won’t be forcibly removed from the roads. They’ll remain legal to drive and own, and used hybrids can still be bought and sold second-hand after 2035, just like with current petrol or diesel vehicles.
No. The 2030 ban only applies to the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles. If you currently drive a fuel-powered car, you won’t need to scrap it. Existing vehicles can still be used and bought second-hand beyond the deadline.
However, it’s worth noting that cities could expand Clean Air Zones or introduce stricter restrictions. That could eventually make it more difficult to drive fuel-powered vehicles in certain areas, but there’s no blanket ban planned for existing cars.
There is no information currently to suggest this will be the case. However, experts at WeBuyAnyCar predicts the value of petrol vehicles could drop as manufacturers start discounting them once the ban is in place. People trying to sell their petrol or diesel car once the 2030 has been and passed, could also find themselves priced out as the potential for more low emission zones could become the new norm in larger cities such as Birmingham and Portsmouth. This could see drivers of old-model vehicles slapped with charges for driving their high-emission cars in specific areas, which all contributes to additional costs.
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According to the Independent, only supercar models such as Aston Martin and McLaren will be allowed to carry on producing petrol and diesel cars until 2035. This is because they only make a small number each year.
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