In 2020 under the leadership of Boris Johnson, Parliament approved a ban on the sales of New Petrol, Diesel, & Hybrid cars to come into effect in 2030.

After the recent by-election in Boris Johnson’s former seat of Uxbridge, which was held by the Conservatives over Labour, by campaigning against the extension of the Ultra-Low Emission Zone out to the M25, Rishi Sunak had a re-think and pushed the ban date back to 2035.

Under pressure from the Civil Servants, on Monday 4^th December his government used a Statutory Instrument to amend the 2035 date back to 2030. This legislation enforces a target of 80% of cars sales to be electric by 2030. That means four electric car sales for every one petrol or diesel car sold. It isn’t going to happen!

So, Rishi Sunak has now re-affirmed Parliament’s commitment to getting rid of the motor car, with the support of Labour and the Liberal Democrats, but with 38 Tory MP’s voting against it. And with either the Conservatives or Labour in power at least until 2028 this isn’t going to be repealed. The thing is wealthy consumers have already bought electric vehicles as an addition to existing high price household vehicles as a demonstration of their green credentials and as a status symbol.

Now the reality of using the electric vehicles has shown them to be inferior to petrol and diesel cars because of uncertainty of charging at any destination. High current charging points installed at home cost thousands in addition to the cost of the car. Trying to charge an electric car that does a daily round commute of 60 miles can take 12 hours or more from a basic 230V ring main.

To re-charge for the commute taking into account a 6% charging loss will require 40kWh, which at 47.5p per kWh plus 5% VAT works out at £20.00. To do the same journey in a petrol or diesel vehicle will consume about 2 gallons of petrol, which at £1.75 a litre works out at £7.88 a gallon and £15.76 for the journey. Note the diesel will do it on less fuel than the petrol vehicle but diesel is dearer at the pump.

Insurers are now realising that any electric car involved in an accident that might have damaged the battery they cannot take the risk of it spontaneously combusting. So, in addition to the 100,000 miles or 7-year battery life, they now have to factor in even minor accidents.

Because accidents with modern vehicles, which often include large sections of plastic facia costing typically £1000 each, the insurers either have to exclude replacement batteries from the policy or have premiums sufficient for them to make at least a 40% profit over a 7-year period. So that is a certain £12,000 - £15,000 insurer outlay within seven years. With profit of 40% that is £16,800 - £21,000, producing premiums of £2,400 - £3,000 a year.

People really cannot afford to buy an electric vehicle that is £10,000 dearer and with insurance 10 times that of its fossil fuelled counterpart. Add to that, the lack of adequate charging infrastructure around these Islands, and an electric vehicle 5 years or older has no second-hand resale value. Also, that within 7 years, or 100,000 miles, it will require a minimum expenditure of £12,000 on a new battery. Also, that in the winter the cold battery loses efficiency, and night time driving with headlights on, and interior heating dramatically reduce the range. Do I need to go on? Who needs this?

At present domestic sales of electric cars has slumped, because the yuppies already have theirs and the word on the street from any ordinary household is that they are a nightmare.

The vast bulk of sales of electric vehicles is as fleet cars and vans by large companies, again to prove their green credentials. Like the Royal Mail though, the cost of buying them and running them and installing charging points will quickly ramp up debts that are unaffordable, unless of course it is subsidised by the government using tax-payers money.

If this ban comes to fruition, car dealers will be decimated and we will become a third world country, where the vast majority of the population have old and beaten-up bangers, and there is a thriving sole trader and small business car repair industry. And finally, it will otherwise have no effect on reducing CO² emissions or saving the planet.



Antony Nailer

UK Independence Party Spokesman for Transport