Petrol and diesel drivers rush to 'give up' their cars before new rules start

Petrol and diesel car drivers are GIVING UP their motors amid a plan from the new Labour Party government to phase the vehicles out. New data from the National Centre for Social Research suggests that petrol, diesel and electric car sales in the UK will increase until at least 2028.

But international evidence suggests that car sales in the UK and in Europe will increase in the coming years but eventually decrease after 2030. Car sales will likely rise globally over the next few years and peak by the end of this decade.

They could then fall to 84 million units by 2035, down from the 85 million units sold in 2015. Petrol car sales are declining fast in the UK, with its share of the market falling from around two-thirds of all new cars in July 2020 to just 53 per cent in July 2021.

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The UK government has confirmed that most new cars sold in the country will need to be electric by 2030. The report stated: "Although EV uptake is expected to increase, there is the tendency for consumers to want to conform with their peers which may mean favouring the purchase of cars with a combustion engine over EVs."

Another recently released report stated that car ownership is considered to be "liberating" for all vehicle owners by giving them a personal choice over "where, when and with who they travel with". New ZEV mandate rules from the government for 2024 mean car makers must ensure 22% of sales must be powered by batteries.

By 2028 the rules stipulate 52% of sales must be powered by batteries and by 2029 the rules from the government mean two-thirds of sales must be powered by batteries. By 2030, 80% of sales must be powered by batteries, the government said.