UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, has given tacit confirmation of leaked rumors that his government would scrap plans to ban all new ICE powered vehicle sales in 2030.
The move to delay the ban by five years broadly puts the UK closer to the European Union’s deadline of 2035, albeit with the EU allowing sales of ICE vehicles using carbon neutral fuels after that date. So far, Sunak has not confirmed he would be falling in line with the EU on carbon neutral fuels in ICE vehicles.
In a late-night statement released in response to speculation published by the BBC, Sunak said: “We are committed to Net Zero by 2050 and the agreements we have made internationally but doing so in a better, more proportionate way… No leak will stop me beginning the process of telling the country how and why we need to change.”
The rumors began when ‘multiple sources’ told the BBC that Sunak was about to row back on his green technology commitments. He is now preparing to set out the changes in a speech in the coming days.
The news will come as a relief to many automakers worried that their sales of BEV products are threatened by the lack of public charging infrastructure which, in the UK, is woefully behind schedule to be ready to cope with the 2030 deadline. Many are hoping the UK government will go further towards the EU’s position allowing ICE and hybrid vehicles that are using carbon neutral or e-fuels.
— Paul Myles is a seasoned automotive journalist based in Europe. Follow him on Twitter @Paulmyles_ and Threads
