The government intends to discuss bringing forward its target of banning the sale of new diesel and petrol cars by 2040.
Speaking at the launch of a report from the Electric Vehicle Energy Taskforce, George Freeman MP, Department for Transport Minister of State, said this was part of plans to announce more “tangible measures to drive decarbonisation.”
Transport minister Grant Shapps had stated at the Conservative party conference in October 2019 that the ban could be brought forward five years, to 2035. He also added that there was a commitment for all central government cars to be electric by 2030.
George Freeman said that public opinion on climate change has shifted and the government needs to step up efforts to deliver on its 2050 net zero emissions target “because 2050 is only 30 years away”.
The minister said he was “cheered” with the news Volkswagen is raising its electric car production forecast for 2025 – the same year that Audi will be offering 20 new fully-electric vehicles.
“We have momentum, we have know-how, we have industry commitment; we haven’t shied away from setting ourselves some really ambitious goals.
“Many people haven’t made the shift from electric motoring being a nice idea, a vision, to being an actual practical reality that we are going to do.
“All of us are going to have to get with the programme.”
