Fossil Fuel Cars Will Soon Be Dead And Buried, According To DfT

While Boris Johnson’s government had originally introduced a 2030 phase out date, last year, Rishi Sunak pushed back the phase out date to 2035. Now, the Labour government intends to reinstate the original 2030 phase out date, in line with their election campaign manifesto. 

The 2030 phase out date will apply to all internal combustion engine (ICE) cars. And the transition is storming ahead, with electric vehicles comprising 19% of all vehicle registrations in June this year. This shows a significant rise in the adoption of EVs among the general population. 

However, the picture is slightly more complex in regards to larger vehicles and hybrids. The DfT has yet to clarify whether this deadline will be extended to vans and mild and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), which were both originally set a phase-out date of 2035. 

Adoption of electric vans is significantly lagging behind the electric car market, comprising just 4.7% of all new light van registrations. There are plans underway to encourage the adoption of electric vans, however. 

Firstly, manufacturers have been issued a mandate to ensure that zero emission vehicles constitute at least 10% of their new van registrations this year. Secondly, the Zero Emission Van Plan, launched in the Houses of Parliament (February 2024), has outlined several measures necessary to make the adoption of electric vehicles achievable and sustainable for operators. This includes improved charging infrastructure, removal of regulatory barriers and fiscal support to ensure that new electric vans are sufficiently affordable. The plan has been submitted to Transport Secretary Louise Haigh, with signatories including Stellantis and the Fleet News Fleet200 Strategy Network. 

In spite of a few minor roadblocks, it’s clear to see that the transition to a cleaner, greener transport industry is well underway. By introducing more efficient energy infrastructure using ZPN’s rapid, ultra-rapid and power boosted EV charging technology, the government could overcome one significant obstacle they face when implementing the transition to electrical energy. This would make charging EVs faster, more efficient, and more convenient for UK drivers, and would provide the necessary power to reliably charge larger vehicles such as vans and trucks.