BRITISH car dealers are sceptical about UK government moves to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 – a ban that is due to come into force in a little more than five years.

In a move aimed at accelerating the UK’s transition to greener transportation, the UK government has announced that the ban on new petrol and diesel cars is to be moved forward from 2035 to the original 2030 deadline. 

The initial ban was announced by Boris Johnson in 2020 but in September 2023 Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, under hip-pocket political pressure at the time, pushed the date out to 2035. But the Labour government reinstated the 2030 deadline for new petrol, diesel and mild hybrid cars, albeit with vans, hybrids and plug-in hybrids given a stay of execution until 2035.

But British car dealers do not think the 2030 date can be met, implying that UK sales in 2030 will collapse.

The recent survey by Close Brothers Motor Finance in the UK found that motor dealers do not believe that the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars can go ahead in 2030. 

The company’s latest Forecourt Foresight research report is saying that a huge majority of dealers (78 per cent) are not confident the ban can go ahead in 2030. 

Forecourt Foresight research report added that this number could be even higher as 15 per cent of the respondents were “don’t knows”. 

When asked for the reasons why dealers were not confident the ban would go ahead in 2030, almost three in four (73 per cent) said there is not enough time to improve the infrastructure. 

More than two-thirds (68 per cent) of dealers believe there is a lack of consumer interest in switching to alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) with 17 per cent saying there is too much confusion over the deadline.

The report said that costs are also a concern with more than a third (35 per cent) of dealers saying there will not be enough affordable AFVs in the market. Nearly 30 per cent pointed to a risk of further electricity price rises.

John Cassidy, managing director of sales at Close Brothers Motor Finance, said: “As the government pushes forward with its ambitious goals, our findings highlight a clear disconnect between policy ambitions and confidence among dealers. 

“While the shift toward electric vehicles remains a vital component of reducing carbon emissions and combatting climate change, significant investments in infrastructure, affordability, and consumer education will be crucial.”

Mr Cassidy said that plans by the government to streamline the installation process for EV charging points were “nowhere near the required level needed”. 

“Further findings from our EV study found that more than a quarter (28 per cent) of EV drivers find the lack of charging points a challenge, and more than one-in-five (21 per cent) have had issues with charging points not working. 

“If the government targets are to be realistic, it’s crucial that the infrastructure gets the levels of investment needed to really make EVs an attractive proposition,” Mr Cassidy said.