British Prime Minister Boris Johnson plans to announce next week a ban on the sale of new gasoline- and diesel-powered cars beginning in 2030, five years earlier than previously planned, the Financial Times reported on Nov. 14.
While the United Kingdom had originally planned for the ban to start in 2040 as part of efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, in February, Johnson accelerated the plan to 2035.
Citing unidentified industry and government figures, the FT said Johnson intends to move the date forward again in a speech on environmental policy he is expected to give next week. The BBC reported a similar plan earlier on Nov. 14, without giving any sources.
A Downing Street spokeswoman declined to comment on the reports or the content of Johnson’s upcoming speech.
The FT said the new timetable wasn’t expected to apply to some hybrid cars, which use a mixture of electric and fossil fuel propulsion and could still be sold until 2035.
An end to the sale of new gas and diesel cars would mark a huge shift in Britain’s automotive market. Industry figures show that those vehicles accounted for 73.6 percent of new car sales so far this year, while just 5.5 percent of sales were for pure electric vehicles, which are typically more expensive. Hybrid vehicles of various types made up the remaining sales.
