The UK will stop selling new diesel and petrol (gasoline) cars and vans from 2030 under plans announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The move is part of a wider 10-point plan for a so-called “green industrial revolution” aimed at generating as much as 250,000 jobs and combatting climate change.
Just this month, Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu launched an electric car made by Hyundai, said to be the first Nigerian electric car.
In an article published on the UK government’s website, the plan will focus on a range of areas including carbon capture and storage, low-carbon hydrogen generation, offshore wind and nuclear energy.
The vehicle ban represents an acceleration of prior targets; U.K. authorities had previously said the sale of new petrol and diesel vans and cars would end in 2040. In February, they announced an ambition to bring this forward to 2035.
The new 2030 target comes after what the government described as “extensive consultation with car manufacturers and sellers.” The government will, however, continue to “allow the sale of hybrid cars and vans that can drive a significant distance with no carbon coming out of the tailpipe until 2035.”
In terms of funding, £1.3 billion (around $1.72 billion) will go towards improving electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, while £582 million will be set aside for grants to lower the cost of electric vehicles and encourage uptake.
In addition, almost £500 million will be spent across the next four years on “the development and mass-scale production of electric vehicle batteries.”
Given that internal combustion engine vehicles still represent the majority of vehicles driven on U.K. roads, there are clear hurdles to overcome if the 2030 target is to be met.
“Less than 10% of cars sold in the U.K. during 2020 so far have been battery EVs,” Tom Heggarty, a principal analyst at Wood Mackenzie, said in a statement.
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