Published

U.K. Accelerates Planned ICE Phaseout to 2035

Prime Minister vows personal leadership but provides few details
#hybrid #regulations

Share

The U.K. is moving the planned phaseout date for sales of piston-powered vehicles (including hybrids) from 2040 to 2035​​​​​, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Tuesday.

Declaring that “urgent action” is needed to combat climate change, Johnson vowed to provide personal leadership in helping the U.K. meet its target of net zero emissions by 2050. But he didn’t provide any details about how the transition would be achieved or related government support programs.

Industry Concern

The country’s Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) association was quick to blast the vague announcement.

“A date without a plan will merely destroy value today,” warns SMMT CEO Mike Hawes.

Noting that EVs currently account for a small fraction of the U.K.’s sales, Hawes calls for safeguards to protect the domestic auto industry and its jobs. He also laments the U.K.’s “woefully inadequate” charging infrastructure.

There currently are 60 plug-in electrified vehicles available in the country with another 34 due to go into service later this year. Any new initiatives must be careful not to undermine sales of such vehicles, Hawes stresses.

RELATED CONTENT

  • On Military Trucks, Euro Car Sales, Mazda Drops and More

    Did you know Mack is making military dump trucks from commercial vehicles or that Ford tied with Daimler in Euro vehicle sales or the Mazda6 is soon to be a thing of the past or Alexa can be more readily integrated or about Honda’s new EV strategy? All that and more are found here.

  • Chevy Develops eCOPO Camaro: The Fast and the Electric

    The notion that electric vehicles were the sort of thing that well-meaning professors who wear tweed jackets with elbow patches drove in order to help save the environment was pretty much annihilated when Tesla added the Ludicrous+ mode to the Model S which propelled the vehicle from 0 to 60 mph in less than 3 seconds.

  • GAC, CATL Partner on Two Battery Ventures

    Two new battery ventures are being formed in China by domestic carmaker Guangzhou Automobile Group Ltd. and battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd.

Gardner Business Media - Strategic Business Solutions