They were supposed to be banned in just five years. But now the British government is backtracking and will allow new hybrid cars after 2030.
First it was 2030, then 2035 and 2030. And now the English government will not ban the sale of new hybrid cars at the start of the new decade.
This is reported by several media outlets – including Autocar and The Telegraph.
It is especially the country's automotive industry, which has threatened to withdraw, that is making Prime Minister Keir Starmer change his mind.
According to The Telegraph, everything regarding the ban on petrol, diesel and hybrid cars is currently being thrown up in the air by the British government.
The government fears that the so-called zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate will do more harm than good when a deadline is set as early as 2030 for hybrid cars and 2035 for the rest.
England is under pressure from car manufacturers – jobs at risk
By that time, England alone will not have eliminated the need for both petrol and diesel cars. In any case, electric cars will not be able to fill the gap left by them.
Back in December, it was reported that Keir Starmer's Labour party was ready to reverse course when it comes to the ban on petrol and diesel cars.
The announcement comes after a long period of pressure from the automotive industry, where there is no market in sight that can cover the entire transportation needs in the country with electric cars.
One of the biggest players in England is Nissan. The Japanese control the largest car factory in the world, with 6,000 employees in Sunderland.
And according to Nissan, it will cost thousands of jobs and result in 'terrible' fines if the UK government does not adjust or completely scrap the upcoming ban.
However, Nissan's own crisis, which means the brand could run out of money within a year, has already meant that the factory has been reduced to half capacity. Read more about it here .
The English are not the only ones confused about whether or not to ban anything but electric cars. Although the EU, which the UK left in 2020, doesn't really know what to do with the ban, even though it's only 10 years away.
In the US, the Trump administration is also determined to stop both state support for electric cars and the state of California's plans to ban gasoline and diesel cars completely.
