UK moves cut-off date for sale of diesel and petrol cars from 2040 to 2030

The United Kingdom has been planning to ban the new sale of diesel and petrol cars from 2040, then 2035 and now it has been moved up even sooner to 2030.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce this move as part of a host of new environmental policies, according to The Guardian.

The UK government are attempting to make space for the electric car market to thrive, while doing away with older and more environmentally damaging vehicles. This is all in line with the country’s target to have net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Unlike South Africa, people in the United Kingdom don’t hold onto their cars for years. As a result of strict safety regulations and the annual Ministry of Transport roadworthiness test, people change cars for newer models more often as it is cheaper than keeping an old model up to scratch.

According to Statista, electric cars make up 7.4% of new vehicles registered in the UK between 2016 and 2020. However, the government hopes to improve this number through their interventions, such as the ban and expanding funding for electric charging stations across the country.

Although encouraging, electric cars still prove to be more expensive to buy outright. However, in a country as small as the United Kingdom, they prove more useful as they can easily navigate the smaller stretches compared to larger countries making their adoption significantly more viable.

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