The future of electric cars and vans

The future of electric cars and vans: A ban on new Petrol and Diesel vehicles

The UK has announced that new petrol or diesel cars and vans will be banned from 2030. The eco-friendly plan will also introduce a ban on hybrid cars from 2035 supporting the leap towards electric powered vehicles.

At present electric vehicles still make up a very small amount of cars and vans on the road which proves how huge this move is towards aiding climate change. A momentous moment in UK history supporting the move towards renewable energy. As the UK zeroemission plan progresses this may very well be the start of the end of traditional diesel and petrol powered vehicles. As expected, this plan was met with mixed feelings despite the environmental benefits this plan will bring.

To put things into perspective, there are only a handful of cars on the market at present that would be allowed to be produced in 2030 or 2035 such as specific Tesla models and the Nissan Leaf. The selection of larger electric vans is even slimmer with next to no vehicles available being up to the correct standard. This alone shows how much progression is still needed to bring the automotive industry up to the correct standards. This news comes at a difficult time during the middle of the Coronavirus pandemic leaving firms around the world anxious about the road ahead. Vehicle manufacturers certainly have their work cut out over the next decade to be ready to continue producing vehicles to sell and be driven in the UK. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is in full support of this plan as he feels this will produce thousands of green jobs whilst making strong strides towards being net zero by 2050. ‘Our green industrial revolution will be powered by the wind turbines of Scotland and the North East, propelled by the electric vehicles made in the Midlands and advanced by the latest technologies developed in Wales, so we can look ahead to a more prosperous, greener future.’ The initial date for this ban was set to be introduced in 2040 and with the date being brought forward by a decade may deem troublesome for car manufacturers around the world. Could this lead to certain companies monopolising the market for a brief period of time or even leave space in the market for a new manufacturer?