The UK Government has announced the sale of petrol and diesel cars will be banned from 2040 onwards as it seeks to tackle air quality issues.

THE UK HAS ANNOUNCED it will follow in the footsteps of France and ban the sale of petrol and diesel cars from 2040 onwards. The ban does not apply to hybrid vehicles.

The announcement follows the release of a draft paper published by the UK’s Department for Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in May this year. The full air quality plan will be published towards the end of this year.

In the draft paper, DEFRA announced that while the Government will fund many of the proposed projects, like a diesel scrappage scheme and the creation of more ‘clean air zones’, it suggested diesel vehicle buyers might also be expected to contribute to the fighting fund. “”Measures to improve air quality will therefore be funded through changes to the tax treatment for new diesel vehicles, or through reprioritisation within existing departmental budgets.” 

The British Government is proposing to spend more money on cycle and walking paths, tackling roadside pollution and incentives to accelerate the uptake of green vehicles. It proposes to spend around AUD$200 million on improving the UK’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The stinger for many people there is that the proposal includes around AUD$2 billion worth of improvements to cycle ways.

Question: Should Australia follow suit and ban the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles here from 2040?