In July 2017, the government proposed to ban the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2040, in the attempt to be make the Road to Zero strategy successful across the UK.
Almost two years later, and the Parliamentary Business Committee (PBC) are hoping to bring the band forward by eight years – 2032 to be exact – believing that the current target of 2040 is ineffective.
They are also convinced that the main discouragement from motorists buying electric cars, is lack of a decent nationwide charging network – and have criticised the Department for Transport’s (DfT) cuts to grants made available for plug-in vehicles.
Despite being brought forward to 2032, the target means the UK is only on level with Scotland, who also have a 2032 target; whilst Ireland’s target is five years ahead at 2025.
The Parliamentary Business Committee are pushing for new regulations to help provide a far-reaching and reliable network of charging points; they argue that the government needs to get a greater hold on both the financial and technical support needed for current and future electric vehicle drivers.
These changes are hoped to encourage the purchasing of electric vehicles, but some a sceptical, believing that upfront costs and charging times must be addressed for motorists to truly invest. Time will tell how swiftly the government acts, and just how accessible will electric vehicles will be in the future.
