The Labour Government should retain the previous Tory regime’s delayed date for abolishing the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles, rather than reverting to the original deadline of 2030, according to electric vehicle (EV) salary sacrifice specialist Fleet Evolution.

In 2022 the Conservative Government announced the 2035 deadline to end sales of new petrol and diesel cars but in September 2023 delayed this to 2035. The Labour Party included a return to the 2030 date in its election manifesto and while not having made an official announcement since coming to power, ministers have indicated that the Government intends to go ahead with this commitment.

However Andrew Leech, founder and managing director of Fleet Evolution, believes the UK’s charging network will simply not be ready for a 2030 switch to fully EV sales, pointing out that while 60% of the UK population can readily charge their cars at home from either drive or garage with greater convenience than filling up with petrol or diesel, 40% have no access to home charging, with many having to resort to the more expensive, public fast charger network.

“It seems counterintuitive that, as specialists in the supply of EVs via salary sacrifice, we should be urging extending the deadline to ban the sale of new ICE vehicles to 2035,” Leech said.

“But the truth is that 40% of the potential EV-driving population do not have adequate access to home charging, and have to use the less convenient, more expensive public charging infrastructure,” he added.

“The shameful lack of action from local authorities on implementing street charging means that the only option for this portion of the population is to use the fast-charge network which may not always be convenient to their home.

“And, cost-wise, a 200-mile journey can be as much as £50 using fast chargers, compared to as little as £5 for home charging.”

According to Leech this factor, combined with a lack of older, used and more-affordable electric vehicles in the market, makes going electric not only difficult logistically but unaffordable for many, especially if their employer does not have a salary sacrifice scheme or the employee is not eligible for one.

“We carried out a survey with Aston University in 2019 which identified that the vast majority of people who could not charge at home did not have suitable charging facilities nearby. Now, nearly five years later, very little has changed when it comes to affordable and convenient local charging in urban centres,” Leech said.

Ambiguity in date change

He added that the Labour commitment, done to “provide certainty” to manufacturers, has had the effect of introducing ambiguity around the sale of new vans, with the Department for Trade only referring to cars in its plans.

“That has made it unclear whether the deadline will also be brought forward by five years for fossil-fuelled vans, and there is further uncertainty over the sale of both mild and plug-in hybrid cars (PHEVs), with the original legislation stating they would be allowed until 2035.

“Some insiders have suggested this rather muddy picture will be clarified at the Budget later this autumn, which will only lead to further uncertainty and delayed sales activity for several more months.”

Leech believes the Government retaining the 2035 deadlines for all vehicles makes more sense – it will not only give manufacturers more time to improve and refine their model line-ups, but provide five years more breathing space for infrastructure suppliers to extend and upgrade the charging network.

 “The priority now must be in investing in better resources for the 40% of the nation who risk being left behind in this new electric revolution – where we need to see a coherent strategy from the new government is in large conurbations where people park in the street, sometimes outside their own house, but not always, and where lack of charging is holding them back from going electric.”

He also cited the need for greater use of and support for cross-pavement charging solutions which could connect to individual home chargers and do not require trenching or subterranean infrastructure. “We need better, more joined-up thinking from government to provide these types of better resources for potential EV drivers who don’t have access to a garage or driveway.

“There could be greater policing of parking outside residents’ homes, for example, with fines for those who take someone else’s parking space, plus wider use of lamp-post charging.”

Leech believes there is an urgent need for a national strategy that focuses on and connects with the 40% of motorists who are in danger of being left behind; “That will require greater action, more investment and coherent, joined-up thinking across the country.”

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