Potential government plans to row back on the 2030 ICE ban have prompted a flood of criticism from across the fleet and automotive sectors.

The UK’s fleet and automotive sectors say the 2030 ICE ban is a vital catalyst for a cleaner future

The Prime Minister is expected to backtrack on key green policies this week, watering down some of Britain’s critical net zero pledges. This could include the 2030 ban on the sale of new ICE cars and vans, which may move back to 2035 in line with the EU.

The U-turn was reported by the BBC, which said it had seen documents suggesting seven core policy changes or commitments could be delayed in a speech later this week.

PM Rishi Sunak said the Government was committed to reaching net zero by 2050 – but in a “more proportionate way”. That’s despite the Government having confirmed several times in recent days that there would be no reprieve for the ICE ban, announced in November 2020.

The rollback is apparently backed by Home Secretary Suella Braverman but has been lambasted by several high-profile Tories. Tory MP Chris Skidmore, whose net zero review earlier this year warned of the need for urgent changes, said rowing back would be the “greatest mistake” for Sunak.

It’s not just Tory MPs slamming the Government though – Ford has hit out at any potential delay and warned that it could derail the EV transition.

Lisa Brankin, Ford UK chair, said: “This is the biggest industry transformation in over a century and the UK 2030 target is a vital catalyst to accelerate Ford into a cleaner future.

“Our business needs three things from the UK government: ambition, commitment and consistency. A relaxation of 2030 would undermine all three. We need the policy focus trained on bolstering the EV market in the short term and supporting consumers while headwinds are strong: infrastructure remains immature, tariffs loom and cost-of-living is high.”

Brankin also pointed out that the auto industry is investing to meet the challenges of the ICE ban announced three years ago. Ford said it had already invested £430m in its UK development and manufacturing facilities and had been planning further investments in line with the 2030 timeline.

The SMMT also warned of the impact on the automotive industry and its investment in the UK.

Chief executive Mike Hawes stressed: “Britain can – and should – be a leader in zero-emission mobility both as a manufacturer and market. To make this a reality, however, consumers must want to make the switch, which requires from government a clear, consistent message, attractive incentives and charging infrastructure that gives confidence rather than anxiety. Confusion and uncertainty will only hold them back.”

Fleet sector in strong opposition to 2030 delay

The fleet sector says pushing back the ICE ban could set UK work in zero-emission mobility back “years, if not decades”

The Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) also slammed any U-turn on the ICE ban – and warned of the impact on fleets that have made significant investments to adopt EVs.

Paul Hollick, chair, said: “Given that the motor industry and their fleet customers have spent literally billions working towards the 2030 target and take the issue of zero emissions very seriously, any major change would reflect poorly on how sincerely this administration takes both the needs of business and the environment.

“This is a crucial subject where massive investments have been made and is not just something that should be politicked in the expectation of short-term gain.

“Really, what we want to see is more help from the Government in order to meet the 2030 deadline, especially when it comes to light commercial vehicles.”

ALD | LeasePlan UK has also urged the Government to stay on track with the 2030 target as it warned of its “strong opposition” to any delay.

Alfonso Martinez, UK managing director, said: “ Now more than ever, we need to demonstrate consistency and commitment to achieving environmental and sustainability goals. Pushing back timelines could send a confusing message to both businesses and consumers and hinder the ongoing efforts to decarbonise the mobility sector.

“For the past few years, we’ve been working in lockstep with the Government’s ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles, helping UK businesses and public sector bodies prepare their drivers and decarbonise their fleets. The end results are always the same: once people make the switch to electric, they realise just how good these vehicles are – quieter, more economical, cleaner and cost effective.”

He also warned that the move could set UK work in zero-emission mobility back by “years, if not decades”.

Jon Lawes, managing director at leasing giant Novuna Vehicle Solutions, has also warned of the impact of a delay to the ban.

“Any rollback in the longstanding 2030 deadline sends out the wrong message to manufacturers and drivers, and threatens future investment in the UK’s battery supply and charging infrastructure, both critical to realising zero emissions mobility.

“We’ve come a long way and can’t lose sight of the ultimate goal to reduce carbon emissions.”

And Geotab emphasised how a change would undo years of investment and action by the fleet sector.

David Savage, vice president, UK + Ireland, said: “All of us in the transportation industry have been investing heavily in this transition, from vehicle manufacturers to fleet operators, and infrastructure providers alike. This morning, many of these stakeholders will be feeling let down and betrayed by the Government.”

He added: “At Geotab, we are committed to a greener future. Our Macro EVSA study demonstrated that six-out-of ten ICE vehicles are ready to transition to electric today. The recent discussions around the introduction of the ULEZ zones shows how harmful tailpipe emissions are in heavily populated areas. The decision by the government to withdraw the plug-in car grants (PICG) and then potentially delay the ban on the sale of ICE vehicles beyond the 2030 deadline creates a huge amount of uncertainty, when what we need is a strong and clear commitment to a greener future.”

Long-term interests must come before short-term political needs

A government change of plan would be regarded as a “poorly planned pre-election challenge to Labour”

As with the Association of Fleet Professionals, many have questioned the PM’s claims that he’s putting the UK’s long-term interests first, as reported by the BBC.

Peter O’Brien, chief marketing officer at Go Zero Charge, instead suggested the changes might be a “poorly planned pre-election challenge to Labour” as Sunak trails in the polls.

O’Brien added: “The drastic reduction in carbon emissions by banning the production of petrol and diesel cars in 2030 supports a greener and more sustainable transportation ecosystem and supports consumers, who have been hit hard by the cost-of-living crisis and unprecedented petrol prices in recent years. On the contrary, Sunak’s drastic change of course appears aimed at supporting oil companies as long as possible.”

It’s a point also made by the Faircharge campaign, which said any change would be “madness”. Founder Quentin Willson added: “Sunak must ignore the siren calls of a coven of fossil fuel supporting back benchers and listen to the global investment community instead.”

And Thom Groot, CEO of salary sacrifice firm The Electric Car Scheme said a delay to the 2030 date “begs the question of whether the Prime Minister and the Government are really interested in gripping climate change”.

Existential threat of climate change won’t wait

A five-year delay to the ICE ban “blows a massive hole in any serious attempt to get to net zero emissions by 2050”

For a government already seen as not taking climate change seriously enough, the suggestions of U-turns on net zero pledges have merited strong criticism.

Melanie Shufflebotham, COO and co-founder of Zapmap, said: “The Government should be looking to the future, not the past, so any suggestion of delaying the petrol and diesel ban would be foolish and irresponsible.

“The climate emergency is already here but Ministers continually fail to recognise the urgency of the situation. The growing popularity of electric vehicles shows that drivers are keen to play their part in the transition to cleaner transport, which is a critical part of our journey towards net zero. Any delay increases the risk that we’ll miss those targets.

And eco campaign group Transport & Environment warned that a five-year delay to the ICE ban “blows a massive hole in any serious attempt to get to net zero emissions by 2050”.

Richard Hebditch, UK director, elaborated: “The 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles, and the accompanying zero emissions vehicle mandate, is the biggest carbon-cutting measure in the net zero strategy. With many cars on the road increasingly lasting close to 20 years, shifting the phase out date means we’re likely to see millions more fossil fuelled cars well past the 2050 net zero target date. This will crash the UK’s carbon budgets.”

He also cautioned that the “sudden abandonment of long-held policy will send shockwaves across industries that we need to get greenhouse gas emissions to zero – the automotive industry being just one”.

Hebditch finished: “The future of the country and the climate deserves better.”