Yesterday Prime Minister (PM) Rishi Sunak announced a major U-turn on the government’s green policies, including a push-back on the ban of new petrol and diesel car sales in the UK from 2030 to 2035.
Since the announcement multiple automotive companies have responded declaring their disapproval of the U-turn, disappointed by the potential risk of delaying the UK’s goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2050.
Ford, AutoTrader, Everrati, DriveElectric, Equipmake, and VEV all responded to the announcement expressing disapproval on the PM’s watering down of green policies and issued warnings of the negative effects it will have on the automotive industry.
Chair of Ford, Lisa Brankin, said:
“Our business needs three things from the UK government: Ambition, committment, and consistency. A relaxation of 2030 would underpin all three.
We need the policy focus trained on bolstering the EV market in consumers while headwinds are strong: Infrastructure remains immature, tariffs loom and the cost of living is high.”
Everrati’s founder and CEO, Justin Lunny, also said:
“The scaling back of the commitment to the 2030 ban on new ICE cars in the UK is the opposite of what the automotive industry and consumers need right now.
Ever since the deadline was set in 2020, awareness and desire to go electric has increased rapidly across all sectors…But by rowing back, the UK Government has not only pushed our net zero plan a further five years down the road, but risked fostering procrastination in a burgeoning market.”
AutoTrader’s commercial director, Ian Plummer, said: “The PM has left the industry and drivers high and dry by sacrificing the 2030 target on the altar of political advantage…this announcement has only served to remove trust and confidence in the UK market.”
Audi made an announcement with no comment on the PM’s speech and simply stated that they will continue on course for increasing growth in producing fully electric vehicle models.
Rishi Sunak’s watering down of policies is likely to decrease the UK’s goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The PM claimed that this delay is green policies will help the government to “adopt a more pragmatic, proportionate and realistic approach to meeting net zero.”
