New petrol and diesel cars banned in UK from 2040

New petrol and diesel cars banned in UK from 2040

Ministers were ordered to draw up new clean air plans following a court challenge

The Government has confirmed plans to ban the sale of new diesel and petrol cars in the UK from 2040.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove says the move is part of a plan to get these vehicles off roads altogether by 2050 - with cleaner electric or hybrid cars taking their place.

Under the plan, local councils could bring in charging zones for the dirtiest vehicles.

The Government is going to make £255m available to local authorities so they can restrict diesel car use on polluted roads, improve public transport and change layouts.

From 2020, new pollution taxes will also be levied on diesel drivers who use congested highways - specifically targeting busy roads in major towns and cities, as well as motorways such as the M4 and M32.

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Mr Gove told the BBC that diesel scrappage schemes are not the Government's preferred option, but councils may be allowed to use such an initiative if it is sufficient value for money.

The Government has identified 81 major roads in 17 towns and cities where it says urgent action is required because they are in breach of EU emissions standards, putting people's health at risk.

The new strategy urges local authorities to attempt to reduce emissions at first by fitting the most polluting diesel vehicles with filters, changing road layouts and removing speed humps.

Tough levies on the most polluting diesel vehicles could be imposed as soon as 2020 as a last resort to help bring down the levels of harmful nitrogen dioxide emissions.

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A Government spokesman said: "Our plan to deal with dirty diesels will help councils clean up emissions hotspots - often a single road - through common sense measures which do not unfairly penalise ordinary working people.

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"Diesel drivers are not to blame and to help them switch to cleaner vehicles the government will consult on a targeted scrappage scheme - one of a number of measures to support motorists affected by local plans."

The strategy will disappoint motoring groups pressing for a diesel scrappage scheme, under which diesel drivers would receive compensation for trading in their polluting vehicles.

Instead the Government will hold a consultation on a "possible" scrappage scheme in the autumn, which sources have suggested is likely to be "very, very targeted".

Greenpeace has said the 2040 deadline to ban petrol and diesel cars is far too late, as it will mean waiting almost 25 years before action is taken to "tackle the public health emergency caused by air pollution".

The campaign group pointed out that Germany, India, the Netherlands and Norway are considering similar bans by 2030.

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Spokeswoman Areeba Hamid said: "While this plan makes the right headline-grabbing noises, in reality it means that children across the UK will continue to be exposed to harmful air pollution for years to come.

"The government cannot shy away any longer from the issue of diesel cars clogging up and polluting our cities, and must now provide real solutions, not just gimmicks."

The Government is concerned that motorists were encouraged to buy diesel vehicles under Labour more than a decade ago because of concerns at the time over carbon emissions.

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Instead of pollution taxes, councils will be urged to improve the flow of traffic with measures such as removing speed humps to prevent cars repeatedly slowing down and speeding up, which almost doubles the amount of harmful gases they pump out.

Other options expected to be put forward include better sequencing of traffic lights to ensure drivers keep arriving at green lights rather than red ones if they drive within the speed limit.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has warned the UK's automotive sector could be undermined if companies and consumers are not given sufficient time to adjust to cleaner cars.

Chief executive Mike Hawes said: "Much depends on the cost of these new technologies and how willing consumers are to adopt battery, plug in hybrid and hydrogen cars.

"Currently demand for alternatively fuelled vehicles is growing but still at a very low level as consumers have concerns over affordability, range and charging points."</s>UK to ban sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2040, says report

Hybrid and fully electric models might soon be the norm in Britain once new diesel and petrol cars are outlowed from 2040. ― AFP picLONDON, July 26 — Britain will outlaw the sale of new diesel and petrol cars and vans from 2040 in a bid to cut air pollution, the government was set to announce later today.

Enviroment minister Michael Gove is due to present the government’s keenly-awaited £3 billion (RM16.8 billion) air pollution plan, which is expected to demand that councils propose measures by March next year to reduce nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels, according to British media reports.

The ban on petrol and diesel cars as well as vans follows a similar proposal by the French government, and will also include hybrid vehicles that have an electric motor and a petrol or diesel engine.

Britain’s High Court demanded that the government produce plans to tackle illegal NO2 pollution, largely caused by diesel emissions, and a draft report was published in May, but the full report was delayed by last month’s snap general election.

The government will provide local councils with £255 million to bring NO2 levels to legal levels, with possible solutions including the removal of speed humps, reprogramming traffic lights and changing road layouts.

Campaigners want cities to impose entry fees on diesel drivers, but councils will only be allowed to do so if no other measures are available, with ministers wary of “punishing” drivers of cars who bought their vehicles in good faith, according to the reports.

“Diesel drivers are not to blame and, to help them switch to cleaner vehicles, the government will consult on a targeted scrappage scheme, one of a number of measures to support motorists affected by local plans,” said a government spokesman.

ClientEarth, the campaign group that brought the case, arguing that a previous set of plans were insufficient to meet EU pollution limits, warned that health issues “caused by exposure to illegal air pollution are happening now, so we need urgent action.”

Air pollution contributes to the death of more than 40,000 people per year in Britain, according to official figures, with nitrogen dioxide a particular problem.— AFP</s>New diesel and petrol cars and vans will be banned from 2040 as part of efforts to tackle air pollution, the Government is expected to announce.

A £255 million fund is expected to be unveiled to help councils speed up local measures to deal with pollution from diesel vehicles, as part of £3 billion spending on air quality.

The measures are set to be included in a court-mandated clean air strategy the Government is due to publish on Wednesday, just days before the deadline set by the High Court.

The expected move to ban petrol and diesel vans and cars follows similar plans announced in France this month and amid increasing signs that the shift to electric vehicles is accelerating.

On Tuesday, BMW announced plans for an electric Mini to be assembled at its Oxford plant while earlier this month Volvo unveiled its moves towards cleaner cars.

The Government was ordered to produce new plans to tackle illegal levels of harmful pollutant nitrogen dioxide after the courts agreed with environmental campaigners that a previous set of plans were insufficient to meet EU pollution limits.

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Despite government efforts to delay publication of the plans until after the general election, ministers were forced to set out the draft plans in May, with the final measures due by July 31.

It is thought ministers will also consult on a diesel scrappage scheme to take the dirtiest vehicles off the road.

Campaigners have demanded the final plans should include government-funded and mandated clean air zones, with charges for the most polluting vehicles to enter areas with high air pollution, as well as a diesel scrappage scheme.

Their calls for charging zones were backed up by an assessment published alongside the draft plans which suggested they were the most effective measures to tackle nitrogen dioxide, much of which comes from diesel vehicles.

But ministers have been wary of being seen to “punish” drivers of diesel cars, who they claim bought the vehicles in good faith after being encouraged to by the last Labour government on the basis they produced lower carbon emissions.

They favour local measures such as retrofitting buses and other transport to make them cleaner, changing road layouts and even altering features such as speed humps and re-programming traffic lights to make traffic flow more smoothly to reduce pollution.

The expected move to ban diesel and petrol cars and vans by 2040 comes after similar plans were announced in France this month and amid increasing signs that the shift to electric vehicles is accelerating, with BMW announcing plans for an electric Mini and Volvo unveiling its moves towards cleaner cars.

Air pollution is linked to around 40,000 premature deaths a year in the UK, and transport also makes up a significant share of greenhouse gas emissions.

A government spokesman said: “Poor air quality is the biggest environmental risk to public health in the UK and this government is determined to take strong action in the shortest time possible.

“That is why we are providing councils with new funding to accelerate development of local plans, as part of an ambitious £3 billion programme to clean up dirty air around our roads.

“Our plan to deal with dirty diesels will help councils clean up emissions hotspots - often a single road - through common sense measures which do not unfairly penalise ordinary working people.

“Diesel drivers are not to blame and, to help them switch to cleaner vehicles, the Government will consult on a targeted scrappage scheme, one of a number of measures to support motorists affected by local plans.”

Environmental law firm ClientEarth took the Government to court over its clean air strategy.

Its chief executive James Thornton said: “The Government has trumpeted some promising measures with its air quality plans, but we need to see the detail.

“A clear policy to move people towards cleaner vehicles by banning the sale of petrol and diesel cars and vans after 2040 is welcome, as is more funding for local authorities.

“However, the law says ministers must bring down illegal levels of air pollution as soon as possible, so any measures announced in this plan must be focused on doing that.</s>The UK government is to ban the sale of all new diesel and petrol cars and vans from 2040 as part of efforts to tackle air pollution, according to reports.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove will announce the ban when he releases a final document outlining the government's clean air strategy on 26 July, the Guardian newspaper reported.

A £3bn ($3.9bn) package is expected to be unveiled to combat air pollution, including a £255m fund to help councils deal with pollution from diesel vehicles.

The measures come weeks after a similar commitment by France to ban all diesel and petrol cars by 2040 in order to meet its obligations under the Paris climate accord.

Air pollution is estimated to contribute to the shortening of the lives of around 40,000 people in the UK per year, primarily by worsening the health of those with heart or lung problems.

The government had been ordered by the High Court to come up with measures to tackle high levels of nitrogen dioxide pollution, which is largely caused by diesel vehicles, by 31 July.

A draft document put forward by ministers to combat the issue earlier this year was deemed to be too weak by a judge.

"Poor air quality is the biggest environmental risk to public health in the UK and this government is determined to take strong action in the shortest time possible," a government spokesman was reported as saying.

"That is why we are providing councils with new funding to accelerate development of local plans, as part of an ambitious £3bn programme to clean up dirty air around our roads."

Gove will set out plans to bring air pollution back to within legal limits in cities such as London and Glasgow, and is expected to order councils managing the most polluted roads to outline how they plan to improve air quality.

The measures could include retrofitting buses and other public transport, changing road layouts and altering features such as roundabouts.

Taxes could also be introduced as a last resort to charge vehicles that enter "clean air zones" at certain times during the day.

Traditional fossil fuel cars account for around 95% of the European market, while less than 1% of the cars currently sold in the UK are fully electric.</s>London: Britain said on Wednesday it will outlaw the sale of new diesel and petrol cars and vans from 2040 in a bid to cut air pollution but environmental groups said the proposals did not go far enough.

Environment minister Michael Gove announced the move as part of the government’s keenly-awaited £3 billion ($3.9 billion, €3.4 billion) air pollution plan, which will demand that councils propose measures by March next year to reduce nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels.

The ban on petrol and diesel cars as well as vans follows a similar proposal by the French government, and will also include hybrid vehicles that have an electric motor and a petrol or diesel engine.

“The Conservatives had a manifesto promise to ensure that by 2050 there would be no diesel or petrol vehicles on the road and today we’re confirming that should mean no new diesel or petrol vehicles by 2040,” Gove told BBC Radio 4.

Britain’s High Court demanded that the government produce plans to tackle illegal NO2 pollution, largely caused by diesel emissions, and a draft report was published in May, but the full report was delayed by last month’s snap general election.

The government will provide local councils with £255 million to bring NO2 levels to legal levels, with possible solutions including the removal of speed humps, reprogramming traffic lights and changing road layouts.

Campaigners want cities to impose entry fees on diesel drivers, but councils will only be allowed to do so if no other measures are available, with ministers wary of “punishing” drivers of cars who bought their vehicles in good faith, according to media reports.

“Diesel drivers are not to blame and, to help them switch to cleaner vehicles, the government will consult on a targeted scrappage scheme, one of a number of measures to support motorists affected by local plans,” a government spokesman said.

Gove added that he did not believe “that it is necessary to bring in charging.” Campaign group ClientEarth warned that health issues “caused by exposure to illegal air pollution are happening now, so we need urgent action.”

Fellow campaigners Greenpeace also warned that the plans did not do enough to combat the immediate issue of NO2 pollution in cities “While this plan makes the right headline-grabbing noises, in reality it means that children across the UK will continue to be exposed to harmful air pollution for years to come, with potentially irreversible impacts,” said Areeba Hamid, clean air campaigner at Greenpeace UK.

“Providing a long term vision is not enough, (Michael) Gove still needs protect our health right now from toxic fumes polluting our streets.” The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said that the move could cost jobs. “Currently demand for alternatively fuelled vehicles is growing but still at a very low level as consumer have concern over affordability, range and charging points,” said SMMT Chief Executive Mike Hawes.

“Outright bans risk undermining the current market for new cars and our sector which supports over 800,000 jobs across the UK, we could undermine the UK’s successful automotive sector if we don’t allow enough time for the industry to adjust.” Air pollution contributes to the death of more than 40,000 people per year in Britain, according to official figures, with nitrogen dioxide a particular problem.

Norway, which is aiming to end the use of all cars running on fossil fuels by 2025, offers generous tax breaks for electric vehicles as well as free parking and the use of bus lanes.</s>Britain will ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2040 in an attempt to reduce air pollution that could herald the end of over a century of popular use of the fossil fuel-guzzling internal combustion engine.

Britain’s step, which follows France, amounts to a victory for electric cars that could eventually transform the wealth of major oil producers, car industry employment and one of the icons of 20th Century capitalism: the automobile itself.

The mayors of Paris, Madrid, Mexico City and Athens have said they plan to ban diesel vehicles from city centres by 2025, while the French government also aims to end the sale of new gasoline and diesel vehicles by 2040.

The British government has been under pressure to take steps to reduce air pollution after losing legal cases brought by campaign groups, and in May set out proposals for a scrappage scheme to get rid of the most polluting vehicles.

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“Today we are confirming that that means there should be no new diesel or petrol vehicles by 2040,” environment minister Michael Gove told BBC Radio.

Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservatives had pledged to make “almost every car and van” zero-emission by 2050. The Times newspaper said the supply of hybrid vehicles which have both an electric and petrol or diesel engine would also end.

There is a mountain to climb, however.

Electric cars currently account for less than 5 per cent of new car registrations in Britain, with drivers concerned about the cost and limited availability of charging points and manufacturers worried about making expensive investments before the demand is there.

“We could undermine the UK’s successful automotive sector if we don’t allow enough time for the industry to adjust,” warned Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

While many automakers may find it hard to countenance the end of the combustion engine, some have embraced a future where electric vehicles, or perhaps even driverless vehicles, ultimately win the race.

Earlier this month, Volvo became the first major traditional automaker to set a date for phasing out vehicles powered solely by the internal combustion engine by saying all its car models launched after 2019 would be electric or hybrids.

Renault-Nissan in 2009 announced plans to spend €4-billion on electric car development.

But until Volkswagen admitted in 2015 to cheating on U.S. diesel emissions tests, most mainstream auto manufacturers had been slow to sink serious investment into battery cars.

The backlash against diesel, without which carmakers would struggle to meet CO2 targets, has since refocused minds and produced a flurry of new commitments.

Volkswagen (VW) itself unveiled ambitious plans last year to roll out 30 new battery-powered models that it expects to account for 2-3 million annual sales by 2025 – or as much as 25 per cent of its vehicle production.

Toyota, which pioneered gasoline-electric hybrids but had long resisted battery-only cars, changed tack last year and has since unveiled plans for a new range of pure-electric models.

In Europe, so called ‘green cars’ benefit from subsidies, tax breaks and other perks, while combustion engines face mounting penalties including driving and parking restrictions.

China, struggling with catastrophic pollution levels in major cities, is pushing plug-in vehicles, though in the United States there is much less appetite so far.

Germany, the home of major carmakers such as VW, Daimler and BMW, should soon start phasing out petrol and diesel too, said Oliver Wittke, a transport expert in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU).

But there is likely to be resistance in Europe’s biggest car market. More than 600,000 jobs could be at risk in Germany from a potential ban on combustion engine cars by 2030, the Ifo economic institute said earlier this month in a study commissioned by Germany’s VDA car industry lobby.

Germany’s three major carmakers have also invested heavily in diesel technology, which offers more efficient fuel burn and lower carbon dioxide emissions than gasoline-powered cars.

In response to the British decision, a German government spokeswoman said on Wednesday Merkel had repeatedly warned against “demonising” diesel vehicles.

Yet Britain’s move will accelerate the decline of diesel cars, whose nitrogen oxide emissions have been blamed for causing respiratory diseases, in Europe’s second biggest market.

Gove also said the government would make 200 million pounds ($260-million) available to local authorities shortly for schemes to restrict diesel vehicles’ access to polluted roads.

He said he favoured road-by-road restrictions for diesel vehicles rather than outright bans from town centres or costly vehicle scrappage schemes, but did not rule them out entirely if they were local authorities’ preferred options.

London mayor Sadiq Khan, of the opposition Labour Party, said the government’s commitment was half-hearted and steps needed to be taken before 2040 to tackle air pollution.

“We need a fully-funded diesel scrappage fund now to get polluting vehicles off our streets immediately, as well as new powers so that cities across the UK can take the action needed to clean up our air,” Khan said in a statement.

Turning away from oil will add to discussions about whether the world is reaching peak oil demand and how additional electric power can be generated.

Some companies, including Royal Dutch Shell, expect demand to peak as early as by the end of the next decade.

Demand for diesel cars fell 10 per cent in the first half of the year in Britain while sales of petrol vehicles rose 5 per cent, according to industry data.

Sales of electric and hybrid models rose by nearly 30 per cent in the same period, the fastest growing section of the market albeit from a low base.</s>LONDON (AP) - Britain's government says it will ban the sale of new cars and vans using diesel and gasoline starting in 2040 as authorities move to tackle air pollution.

The decision announced Wednesday by Environment Secretary Michael Gove follows similar moves in France and Norway. It also comes as the technology for electrical cars improves.

Gove told the BBC that "there is no alternative to embracing new technology."

Vehicles are reflected in a bus as they drive in central London, Wednesday, July 26, 2017. To control air pollution, new diesel and petrol cars and vans could be banned in the UK from 2040. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Britain's government is expected to announce a 255 million pound ($326 million) fund to help local communities address diesel pollution. The measures are part of a clean air strategy authorities are due to publish Wednesday, only days before a deadline mandated by the High Court.

Campaigners want the final plans to have government-funded and mandated clean air zones, together with a diesel scrappage scheme.</s>Environment secretary Michael Gove is expected to announce plans to stop the sales of tradition petrol and diesel vehicles over the next few years in a bid to push Britons to buy electric or hybrid cars and will include new pollution taxes for drivers of diesel cars in Britain's most polluted areas. The proposal, which is strikingly similar to a French plan earlier this month, comes as the Government makes a concerted effort to reduce air pollution across the country as it threatens to reach even more dangerous levels.

The ban is set to come into force in 2040, with a new tax to come in over the next few years

Along with the ban, Mr Gove is set to demand that councils take measures to improve air quality along 81 of Britain's dirtiest roads. A £255million fund is expected to be unveiled to help councils speed up local measures to deal with pollution from diesel vehicles, as part of £3billion spending on air quality. Air pollution is linked to around 40,000 premature deaths a year in the UK, and transport also makes up a significant share of greenhouse gas emissions. It is thought ministers will also consider a diesel scrappage scheme to take the dirtiest vehicles off the road. A government spokesman said: "Poor air quality is the biggest environmental risk to public health in the UK and this government is determined to take strong action in the shortest time possible.

"That is why we are providing councils with new funding to accelerate development of local plans, as part of an ambitious £3 billion programme to clean up dirty air around our roads. “Our plan to deal with dirty diesels will help councils clean up emission hotspots – often a single road – through common sense measures which do not unfairly penalise ordinary working people.” "Diesel drivers are not to blame and, to help them switch to cleaner vehicles, the Government will consult on a targeted scrappage scheme, one of a number of measures to support motorists affected by local plans."

Environmental law firm ClientEarth took the Government to court over its clean air strategy. Chief executive James Thornton said: "The Government has trumpeted some promising measures with its air quality plans, but we need to see the detail. "A clear policy to move people towards cleaner vehicles by banning the sale of petrol and diesel cars and vans after 2040 is welcome, as is more funding for local authorities. "However, the law says ministers must bring down illegal levels of air pollution as soon as possible, so any measures announced in this plan must be focused on doing that. The news comes as some major car manufacturers revealed major plans to alter production in order to bring in more electric and hybrid vehicles, with Volvo announcing it will not be making diesel or petrol cars after 2019. More than 170,000 traditional petrol and diesel cars are sold in Britain each year.</s>New diesel and petrol cars and vans will be banned from 2040 as part of efforts to tackle air pollution, Environment Secretary Michael Gove has said.

He also pledged to work with local authorities developing “value for money and appropriately targeted” diesel scrappage schemes.

But the Cabinet minister warned authorities he does not believe it is “necessary” to bring in charges to prevent vehicles entering city centres, adding the Government will work with them to determine the approach.

Mr Gove’s remarks came ahead of the Government’s expected announcement of a £255 million fund to help councils speed up local measures to deal with pollution from diesel vehicles, as part of £3 billion spending on air quality.

The measures are set to be included in a court-mandated clean air strategy the Government is due to publish on Wednesday, just days before the deadline set by the High Court.

The expected move to ban petrol and diesel vans and cars follows similar plans announced in France this month and amid increasing signs that the shift to electric vehicles is accelerating.

Mr Gove told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We can’t carry on with diesel and petrol cars, not just because of the health problems that they cause, but also because the emissions that they cause would mean that we would accelerate climate change, do damage to our planet and to the next generation.”

Asked if there was no alternative to more wind farms and nuclear power energy stations, Mr Gove replied: “There is no alternative to embracing new technology.”

Told the Conservatives had a manifesto promise against more wind farms, Mr Gove said: “The Conservatives had a manifesto promise to ensure by 2050 there would be no diesel or petrol vehicles on our roads.

“Today we’re confirming that should mean no new diesel or petrol vehicles by 2040, and critically President Macron in France has a similar aspiration… and Norway wants to reach that goal by 2025 so we are, quite rightly, in a position of global leadership in shaping the new technology.”

Mr Gove, asked if there is a chance diesel vehicles may be banned from driving in certain polluted roads or areas in the future, replied: “Yes.”

He added that outside London there are a “limited number of roads” which have too many diesel vehicles travelling on them, noting: “What we’re announcing today is a package, more than £200 million, which will go to those local authorities in order to enable them to draw up appropriate plans in order to deal with some of the particular challenges they face.

“Those plans could include everything from changing the bus fleet – retrofitting buses so that they no longer emit some of these noxious fumes – but it could include, in specific areas, particular restrictions on drivers.”

Mr Gove said it was up to local authorities to develop plans, encouraging them to develop “imaginative” solutions.</s>FILE PHOTO: A Shell service station displays the price of petrol and diesel in London January 29, 2016.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's government will announce on Wednesday that it will ban the sale of all petrol- and diesel-fuelled cars from 2040 as part of a plan to clean up air pollution, newspapers reported on Tuesday.

The reported move follows a similar announcement earlier this month by the French government.
Following a similar move in France, the United Kingdom is to ban the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2040 in order to reduce air pollution. A new tax will also be levied on diesel car drivers in 2020.