Car types to be banned by 2030 as UK motorists face huge changes

Certain types of car are set to be phased out from UK streets within less than five years. The Government has announced that nearly all new solely combustion petrol and diesel cars will be off the market by 2030 and beyond.

This means most leading car makers won't be able to sell any form of petrol and diesel vehicle as we shift towards hybrid and electric engines. But the 2030 ban doesn't stop there as even new fossil fuel mild hybrids are in the firing line.

The Conservatives had delayed the petrol and diesel motor ban to 2035, but Labour pledged in their manifesto to revert to the original 2030 deadline. Experts at the Electric Car Scheme said: "For drivers, the 2030 deadline means that anyone looking to buy a new conventional petrol or diesel car will need to do so before that date.

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"However, hybrids will remain an option until 2035, providing a transitional option for those not yet ready to go fully electric." Which? reports that "new pure fossil fuel cars" and "new fossil fuel mild hybrids" are the only vehicles which will be completely banned from 2030.

The Government has made some concessions, with plug-in hybrids getting a reprieve until 2035, reports the Express. At the same time, smaller car manufacturers making fewer than 1,000 vehicles a year now have a get-out clause from the stringent Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate targets.

The move grants additional leeway for leading British car manufacturers like Caterham, Aston Martin, and McLaren to continue production of combustion engine models for now. This year, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander confirmed the strategy, saying it was an important part of a plan to avoid fossil-fuel dependency.

She said: "Our plans will restore clarity for manufacturers, provide renewed confidence for charging infrastructure investors and give confidence to consumers considering making the switch. No new petrol or diesel cars will be sold after 2030. All new cars and vans will need to be 100% zero emission by 2035.

"The need to transition away from a reliance on fossil fuels has never been clearer, and the transition to zero-emission vehicles will play a critical role in quickly reducing carbon emissions and improving our energy security."

Full list of vehicle types banned after 2030

• New pure fossil fuel cars
• New fossil fuel mild hybrids (with a small battery providing a power boost)