The Shift To Electric Cars

The shift from vehicles that use fuel and diesel to electric cars is not a small one. New legislation means that every driver in the UK will be affected. We take a look at what the law says and how this will affect consumers. 

What The New Legislation Says 

Behind the new vehicle legislation for the UK lies the sustainability goal of homing in on a net zero carbon emissions target set for 2050. This goal is supported by other measures.

According to the legislation, a ban will be implemented on the sale of new vehicles that use diesel or petrol. This means effectively that when your second-hand car can no longer be repaired or if you want to purchase a new one, it will mean going electric.

The date was originally announced to take effect in 2040. This was then shifted to 2035. In the latest update in February 2022, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has brought this deadline forward to 2030. Although the sale of vehicles with combustion engines has been prohibited, it is likely that hybrid cars will still be available and will get their power from electric batteries at least until 2035.

There was talk of the government implementing a scrappage scheme, but this was vetoed in 2020 as being too difficult to manage and having the potential for abuse. It would have provided £6,000 to offset the price of a new electric car. Instead, a plug-in grant of £2,500 (originally £3,000) was approved. This is conditional on the electric car being able to drive 112km with zero emissions and whose CO2 emissions are under 50g/km.

Reactions To The Legislation

The charity, Greenpeace, conducted research on the implications of the new legislation. The results showed an outcome of an additional 32,000 jobs created by bringing the ban implementation date forward from 2035 to 2030. These employment opportunities would occur in the leisure, entertainment, and retail industries due to the higher disposable income citizens would have after purchasing an electric car. The reduction in vehicle running costs would lead to greater spending on desirable activities and products.

On the other hand, vehicle manufacturers cautioned that being unable to sell new hybrid cars could lead to a decline in investments in the UK. 

One Japanese manufacturer indicated that various constraints such as the availability of resources and technological barriers could not easily be resolved. The outcome is that it will not be possible to shift from internal combustion engines to electric ones in every instance.

Consumer Perspective

Consumers will have to abide by the new regulations as no new combustion-powered vehicles will be available for purchase after the deadline. However, they will need sufficient information to make wise financial choices when buying a new electric vehicle and trading in their old one. 

Electric cars are more expensive, although this is set to decrease as sales increase. Electrix has lots of EV resources, including information on electric car costs. They provide all the information you need to know to compare and purchase an electric vehicle, get a smart home charger, and more.

Over time, consumers will start to see savings as running an electric car is far cheaper than the costs of maintaining a regular car and putting in fuel. 

Although the change is a big one, it is not a negative shift, It will reduce the UK’s carbon footprint and put more money in consumers’ pockets.