When Does the Ban On The Sale Of New Fossil Fuel Vehicles Begin?

The UK government has banned the sale of fossil fuel vehicles from 2030. The ban applies to the sale of new vehicles so it does not affect the second hand market. The sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles in the EU will be prohibited beginning in 2035 thanks to a new law that the European Parliament officially passed in February 2023.

The legislation in the UK and EU is aimed at accelerating the transition to electric cars (EVs) as part of the drive to combat climate change.

The EU legislation requires automakers doing business in the EU to achieve a 100% reduction in CO2 emissions from newly sold cars. So, this would make it impossible to sell brand-new fossil fuel-powered cars as they all emit CO2. The legislation also requires a 55% reduction in CO2 emissions for new cars sold beginning in 2030 compared to 2021 levels.

Transportation is currently responsible for around 25% of all CO2 emissions in the EU and around 28% in the UK and the ultimate goal for both is to be "climate neutral" by 2050, which is the so-called Net Zero target. 

Although the majority of European manufacturers have committed to investing in the transition to EVs, there has been some disagreement to the industry's timeline. The final bill will therefore have a provision allowing smaller manufacturers who produce fewer than 10,000 vehicles annually to negotiate softer targets for an additional year.