Drivers pledge to avoid electric vehicles until after 2035 following car ban delay

Last week, Rishi Sunak announced a roll back of Government net zero policies, with the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans being delayed until 2035.

The Prime Minister said the UK was working to become a “world leader” when it comes to electric cars, with billions of pounds of investment coming from Tata’s Jaguar Land Rover gigafactory.

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However, he said drivers should have the choice to switch to an electric car, not the “Government forcing you to do it”.

He pointed to the upfront price of electric vehicles remaining high and said it wasn’t yet feasible for families struggling with the cost of living crisis.

Data from Kwik Fit shows the proportion of drivers planning to buy a new low emission vehicle had dropped back to just 38 per cent.

The number of drivers in favour of electric cars has slowly been growing since 2020, while 2021 saw demand for EVs outpacing petrol and diesel cars.

Roger Griggs, communications director at Kwik Fit, said: “There has been a clear change in drivers’ plans following the Government pushing the ban on sales of new petrol or diesel powered cars back to 2035.

“Kwik Fit has been tracking drivers’ car buying plans since the 2030 ban was announced.

“To this point we have consistently seen increasing numbers of drivers planning to switch to a low emission vehicle for their next car, so this is a significant shift in attitude.”

Around 46 per cent of drivers said they would not consider buying an electric car until after 2035.

A similar proportion highlighted how the new deadline of 2035 means they would prefer to buy a second-hand petrol or diesel vehicle instead.

The Government has now finalised the terms of the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate, which will see manufacturers required to have a minimum proportion of their sales to be electric.

This is set to begin in January next year, with manufacturers required to have 22 per cent of their car and van sales be zero emission vehicles.

Roger Griggs said more electric vehicle models would become available in the new and used market over the coming years.

He added that it was likely that more drivers would consider making the shift as they become more familiar with EVs.

Mr Griggs said: “However, it’s obvious that the car parc of the UK will be a mix of ICE, hybrid and EVs for many years to come, so it’s vital that drivers are supported in making sure their car runs as efficiently as possible for the long term, whatever type of fuel it uses.”

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Just under half of survey respondents said the decision to delay the ban will make it harder for the UK to meet its carbon emission targets, namely net zero by 2050.