One of the most talked about topics in the car industry right now is the 2040 ban on petrol and diesel vehicles. The news has caused various officials to give their opinions. UK mayors are banding together in an effort to encourage the ban to happen in 2030. The coalition includes leaders from Bristol, Cardiff, London, Bradford, Oxford and the West Midlands. The mayors will present their case to environment secretary Michael Gove at the 2018 National Air Quality Summit.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan is among those who are calling for the ban to be moved forward by a decade. Khan has said “air pollution is not an isolated problem, it’s a national health crisis. Our country’s filthy air is shortening lives, damaging lungs and severely impacting on the NHS. Michael Gove has made a good start as environment secretary, but we need the government to match our ambition and help us urgently drive forward these improvements. We simply cannot afford a delay.”
Gove recently announced a new clean air strategy that showcased plans to decrease particulates from vehicle tyres and brakes. The strategy held off on speeding up the diesel and petrol vehicle van proposed in 2017.
West Midlands mayor Andy Street highlighted the issue with the UK air quality. He called it “a public health crisis that needs urgent action. We need to move to making cleaner vehicles now. It is an essential part of the national industrial strategy.”
Richard Harrington, the minister for business, energy and industry said that petrol and diesel models may “potentially” be allowed for sale after the deadline because it’s not possible to predict what kind of technology would be around in 2040. The sentiment was shared by business secretary Greg Clark. Earlier this year at the FT Future of the Car Summit he said “there is a place for diesel. City centres are a flashpoint. Driving diesel a long distance is a different question.”
The 2040 petrol and diesel car ban continues to be an important debate and we’ll provide you with all the necessary updates.
