UK to bring forward ban on new gasoline, diesel cars sales to 2035

A planned UK ban on sales of new gasoline and diesel vehicles will be brought forward by five years to 2035 and included sales of both hybrids and plug-in hybrids, the UK's Transport Secretary announced late Tuesday.

Billed as part of the UK's moves to meet its legal goal to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will outline the new policy later Wednesday at an event to launch a United Nations climate summit in November, according to local press reports.

The UK in 2017 announced a ban on sales of new conventional diesel and gasoline cars from 2040, following similar measures by France, in a bid to lower emissions and improve air quality. It remained unclear, however, if the ban would now include hydrid vehicles.

The move will likely irk car makers and refiners, which many expect to face market upheaval from the phase-out date for gasoline and diesel cars well before the 2040 deadline.

But some other countries in Europe have shorter-term goals to ensure all new cars and vans are zero-emission, including Denmark which intends to ban the sale of new diesel and gasoline cars by 2030.

Germany and Ireland also have plans for all new cars and vans to be zero-emission by 2030.

The UK became a net importer of oil in 2013 and inflows of gasoline and diesel also increased over the last decade, in particular, to meet the growth in demand for diesel.

In 2016, the costs of these imports were GBP1 billion and GBP 5 billion for gasoline and diesel respectively, according to government figures.