The English car brand Lister has stopped development of a new model due to England's ban on petrol cars from 2030.
British car brand Lister, known for its modified Jaguar models, has announced that it is halting development of a new supercar. The decision is a consequence of the British government's plans to ban the sale of new petrol cars from 2030.
The ban on petrol cars creates uncertainty for small car manufacturers like Lister. Previously, these companies, including Morgan, Caterham and Ginetta, were exempt from emissions requirements because they produce fewer than 1,000 cars per year.
The British government has not yet clarified whether this exemption will continue. Therefore, Lister is stopping development.
Lister writes on his social media that if the new emission requirements also apply to small businesses, it will effectively be the death knell for their plans for a new car. Development has therefore been put on hold until clarification from the government.
– Previously, small, British car manufacturers such as ourselves, Morgan, Caterham, Ginetta, etc. have been exempted from emissions requirements.
– Because we produce less than 1,000 cars a year. But the British government has not yet stated whether this exemption will continue, says Lister on X – the former Twitter.
Details about the planned car are still scarce. In fact, the only thing that is certain is that it is not an electric car that Lister is working on.
In 2018, Lister's CEO, Lawrence Whittaker, hinted that a supercar built around a 7.8-liter V12 engine from Jaguar was on the way.
It's been quiet since then. But with Jaguar's upcoming focus on electric cars, a new Lister with a V8 engine from the F-Pace SVR could be a fitting farewell.
Lister has already modified the 5-liter engine to produce 666 horsepower in the Lister Stealth, a modified F-Pace SVR that can top out at 195 mph. So putting the same engine in an even smaller supercar sounds more than interesting. But now the plan has been shelved.
However, it all depends on the UK's final decision on emissions requirements. If the petrol car ban timeframe remains at 2030 and there are no exemptions for small businesses, the new Lister supercar could be dead on arrival.
Lister's situation is an example of the challenges small car manufacturers face in an era of tighter emissions regulations and a focus on electric cars. It is still unclear how the British government will deal with smaller car brands. And whether exemptions will be made for them.
