If you’re confused by the Government’s wavy line to zero-emission cars and vans, then you’re not alone. Here’s a potted history of the UK’s pathway to electric vehicles.
The UK is on course to become one of the first countries to phase out fossil fuel cars and vans, as part of the Government’s ambition to become a Net Zero emission economy by 2050.
However, that pathway hasn’t been a straight line, and the way it’s been communicated by successive Governments hasn’t helped get the message across to consumers (or journalists, for that matter).
If you’re trying to wrap your head around what’s on the horizon, then it helps to understand the often-confusing route British politicians have taken to get us this far. We’ll unpack the U-turns and odd terminology later, but let’s start with the basics.
Is the UK banning petrol and diesel cars and vans?
No. At the time of writing, there are no plans to ban petrol, diesel or hybrid cars and vans from being used on UK roads. However, there are plans to stop new ones being sold, which will eventually make them the exception rather than the norm.
The long-standing target is for almost cars and of them to be zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs – that’s battery-electric or hydrogen fuel cell electric) by the 2050 Net Zero deadline. This is happening in two stages:
From 2030: 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans must be ZEVs. The remaining 20% of cars need to be at least a full hybrid (e.g. Toyota Corolla). This effectively bans the sale of new non-hybrid petrol and diesel cars in the UK.
From 2035: 100% of new cars and vans must be ZEVs, which means you won’t be able to buy a new hybrid, even if it’s a plug-in. As cars and vans typically last 15 years, the Government expects most fuel-burning versions to have been scrapped before 2050.
Has the UK changed its electric vehicle targets?
Yes, several times. But, at the time of writing, the plan to reach 100% ZEV car and van sales has only ever been brought forward. Given the way the changes have been announced, rumours and news stories to the contrary are hardly surprising. Here’s how it all unfolded.
May 2015: David Cameron is elected PM on a manifesto pledging that “almost every car” on UK roads will be a ZEV by 2050.
July 2017: The Government’s Air Quality Plan for Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) in UK confirms a target to “end the sale of all new conventional petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2040.” In other words, only 100% hybrid or BEV/FCEV would be available from that date.
July 2018: The Road to Zero strategy is released, aiming for “all new cars and vans to have significant zero emission capability by 2040.” It doesn’t set out whether “significant” draws the line at mild hybrids, full hybrids or plug-in hybrids.
November 2020: Boris Johnson’s Government trims five years off that timeline, announcing that all new cars and vans must be ZEVs by 2035, while “significant zero-emission capability” is the baseline for both vehicle types from 2030. The announcement doesn’t clarify what “significant” means.
July 2021: Three years on from the Road to Zero, a consultation outcome document confirms that “significant zero-emission capability” includes “some” full hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles, but doesn’t set a threshold.
October 2021: The Net Zero Strategy confirms the Government will introduce a "ZEV mandate" as a pathway to 2030/35. Manufacturers will get annual ZEV sales targets, as a proportion of new car and van registrations, it says, but gives no detail.
March 2023: The Rishi Sunak Government releases a proposed ZEV Mandate – 18 months after the initial announcement – including the first indication of targets that will apply from January 2024, and how non-ZEV credits can be earned and traded.
Sept 2023: Rishi Sunak announces that the Government will "ease the transition to electric vehicles" but it does nothing of the sort. The change removes 2030’s hybrid-only deadline for cars and vans but leaves the Johnson-era ZEV targets for 2030 and 2035 intact for both vehicle types.
April 2025: The Keir Starmer Government restores the 2030 hybrid requirement for cars, but not for vans. The announcement lists the Toyota Prius (a PHEV) and “Nissan e-Power” (which is a powertrain, not a car) as examples of full hybrids, despite the Corolla and Qashqai both being built in the UK. Again, 2030/35 ZEV targets are unchanged.
What if I’m not ready for an electric car?
That’s fine. EVs are brilliant if you can charge at home, but the solid all-rounders are still out of budget for a lot of drivers and public networks are pricey if you have to rely on them. If you’re in that camp, the good news is you won’t have to scrap your current car in three years.
Although successive Governments have talked about ending the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles in 2030 (or delaying that deadline), nobody has suggested an overnight EV switchover for the UK’s 30+ million vehicles.
That means there’s still time for the electrical grid to adapt, prices to fall, the used market to fill up with cheap EVs, and for technology to provide solutions for the on-street charging issues.
In the meantime, you’ll still be able to buy hybrids (most of which run on petrol, don’t forget) until 2035, and use whatever you already own for as long as you can buy fuel for it.