UPDATE, 31/07/2020:
While it's easy to think of early February 2020 as a care-free, halcyon time in the distant past, there was some news to disturb our little world back then. And it was nothing to do with a virus. It was pertaining to the Government's plan to end the sale of any vehicle with a combustion engine - so that's petrol, diesel or hybrid - by 2035. Which, given the progress currently made on the alternative, as well as the nation's heavy reliance on fossil fuel power, sounded ludicrous. Little did we know that was the start of bizarre Government decisions in 2020...
You can read the initial details (and response) in the below story, but this is PistonHeads - it's a predictable riposte. The company is literally named after a combustion engine part, because we love suck-squeeze-bang-blow that much. Today's news is little more than a reminder: the public online consultation period on the decision ends today. It was meant to be May 31st but, owing to the pandemic-that-must-not-be-named, a couple of extra months were added on. Something good had to come of this.
So get involved! The details are here (it's basically the email address to send observations to) and none will be accepted after today. The consultation panel are said to be interested in matters including the phase out date, the definition of what should be phased out, barriers to the ban being achieved and overall impact, amongst other things. Goodness knows we have a wealth of knowledge on the subject matter on PistonHeads - now's the time to put it to good use!
Nobody is advocating V12s in saloon cars or six-cylinder superminis again, but the Government's proposed transition appears wildly ambitious and ill-informed. It risks causing a lot more disruption than good, given the progress made so far in the industry and this country towards low carbon mobility. We all want a sustainable future, but we also want a thriving automotive industry and car enthusiast community in this country - the current strategy seems, at best, a misguided attempt to do much bad for little good. There has to be a better way. Up to you to tell the Government exactly what that is... MB
S2000 images: Dafydd Wood
ORIGINAL STORY, AS REPORTED 04/02/2020:
Begin hoarding your internal combustion engines, the end times are upon us. Or they will be five years sooner than expected, at least, thanks to news that Boris Johnson is now planning to ban the sale of all petrol, diesel and hybrid cars from 2035. The announcement comes ahead of a UN climate summit set to be hosted in Glasgow in November, and is said to be necessary in order to hit the UK’s target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The COP26 conference will take stock of how successfully (or not) nations are adhering to the promises made in the 2015 Paris Agreement. With the UK’s previous ICE cut off of 2040 said to be too late to hit its 2050 goal, the event’s host nation had little other choice than to bring the deadline forward or face accusations of inaction.
For comparison France is planning to ban the sale of fossil fuel-powered cars by 2040, Iceland is aiming for 2030 and Norway has the most ambitious goal of all new cars sold in the country being zero emission just five years from now. Unlike the others, however, the Scandinavian nation’s target is non-binding.
“Hosting COP26 is an important opportunity for the UK and nations across the globe to step up in the fight against climate change,” the PM is quoted as saying in a statement released by his office. “As we set out our plans to hit our ambitious 2050 net zero target across this year, so we shall urge others to join us in pledging net zero emissions.” Sir David Attenborough, who joined Johnson for the announcement, said he found the development "encouraging" adding, "it's up to us to put before the nations of the world what needs to be done. Now is the moment."
Mike Hawes, Chief Executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, wasn't quite so effusive in his praise, however: "It's extremely concerning that government has seemingly moved the goalposts for consumers and industry on such a critical issue. Manufacturers are fully invested in a zero emissions future, with some 60 plug-in models now on the market and 34 more coming in 2020. However, with current demand for this still expensive technology still just a fraction of sales, it's clear that accelerating an already very challenging ambition will take more than industry investment. This is about market transformation, yet we still don't have clarity on the future of the plug-in car grant - the most significant driver of EV uptake - which ends in just 60 days' time, while the UK's charging network is still woefully inadequate.
"If the UK is to lead the global zero emissions agenda, we need a competitive marketplace and a competitive business environment to encourage manufacturers to sell and build here. A date without a plan will merely destroy value today. So we therefore need to hear how government plans to fulfil its ambitions in a sustainable way, one that safeguards industry and jobs, allows people from all income groups and regions to adapt and benefit, and, crucially, does not undermine sales of today's low emission technologies, including popular hybrids, all of which are essential to deliver air quality and climate change goals now."
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