This month, we’ve shared news of clean energy plans out of Australia (New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory) and the United States. Now we’re thrilled to see that the United Kingdom is furthering its own carbon-cutting commitments with ambitious plans and incentives that support our recent expansion into the electric vehicle (EV) market.
In a 10-part climate plan touted as a ‘green industrial revolution’, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that the UK will ban all sales of new cars that run only on fossil fuels – petrol and diesel – by 2030.
The government had been working toward a 2040 target but accelerated its plans in part to boost an economy suffering through the coronavirus pandemic. Leadership also received assurances that the country’s infrastructure could support a significant shift to EVs, which require a network of charging stations.
If the UK achieves this goal, it will become the first G7 country and major economy to decarbonise road transport. It is 1 of at least 14 countries that intend to make their roads fully electric in the coming decades, including Norway (2025 target), Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands (all 2030) and France (2040).
While the news may disappoint the traditional auto industry, we are optimistic about the opportunities it presents. Tembo EVs have already rolled out in 3 of the countries above, and we are eager to help electrify transport in these and other countries.
As we touched on earlier, the UK plan includes not just targets but incentives – including £582 million ($777 million) in grants to enable more consumers to buy zero or ultra-low emission vehicles.
The government will also spend:
- £1.3 billion ($1.7 billion) on charging points to make purchasing EVs more attractive
- nearly £500 million ($668 million) to develop and produce electric car batteries.
They have also committed to remove all gas-emitting vehicles from UK roads by 2050.
We’re excited to see electrification become the new standard in transportation!
