- The Labour Party, the UK political party, reported by research group YouGov to win next month’s election in a landslide victory, has pledged to bring forward the ban on the sale of new internal combustion engined passenger cars, with the release of its manifesto.
- With the original date pushed back from 2030 to 2035 under the current government, the mandate would be brought forward to its original 2030 deadline under a Labour government.
- The date shift isn’t the only thing The Labour Party is promising to bring to EV mobility.
Could Labour charge up the UK’s EV revolution even further?
Labour says in its manifesto that the restored date will bring ‘certainty’ to manufacturers, and will ensure that the target can be met by accelerating the rollout of the UK’s charging network. This will include the removal of certain planning regulations, such as height restrictions, which restrict the construction of new sites. The party also plans to support those purchasing used EVs, an ever-more popular option as second-hand options reach price parity with their fossil-fuelled counterparts. This will be achieved through a standardised used battery health report that will be available for all used EV sales, which should help boost consumer confidence.
Other political parties in the running have also had their say on the EV deadline. The Green Party’s manifesto pledges a much more ambitious target – ending the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2027, and banning such vehicles from the road altogether by 2035. The Liberal Democrats also pledge to reinstate the 2030 date, while the Conservatives have no plan to deviate from the current 2035 EV mandate. Reform UK, on the other hand, says it will completely scrap the deadline on selling petrol and diesel cars.
