Tories to scrap petrol car ban if they win next election

If the Conservatives win the next election, Kemi Badenoch says they will eliminate the ban on petrol and diesel vehicles that will come into operation in the UK. The Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) law, according to the Conservative Party leader, was a

well-meaning but ultimately harmful piece of legislation. All new vehicles will have to be electric or hybrid by 2030 as part of government policies to achieve a legally binding target of being

net zero" by 2050. The Conservative leader's remarks came after she spoke with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has pleaded for the EU to abandon its own proposals for a ban.

Net zero refers to the balance between the amount of greenhouse gas produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere. Six EU countries, including Italy, have recently asked other member states to reconsider plans to phase out new petrol and diesel cars by 2035, fearing that doing so would jeopardize industrial productivity. Badenoch said that the EU had already decided against dropping a full ban, adding:

The truth is that the Union's shift away from EVs makes Labour's growth even more isolated, and by going forward alone, we are leaving our domestic industry in a disadvantage while giving others the opportunity to conquer global supply chains.

China is the only winners in this economic self-harm, according to her. The Conservative leader said that her government would continue to move toward transition to cleaner transportation, but not one based on

affordability, usability, and technological development

rather than

unrealistic mandates that weaken domestic industry and empower foreign competitors. Scrapping the mandate, according to She said, would give the UK's car industry

space

to rebuild the country's auto industry. UK car manufacturers were expected to have been split by the 2030 deadline, with some calling for more funding to be able to meet it. The government revealed an extra £1 in its new Budget. To encourage drivers to switch to EVs, the UK's Electric Car Grant scheme has invested 3 billion. Chancellor Rachel Reeves also revealed that battery electric cars, which include plug-in hybrids, will be charged 3p per mile for the Electric Vehicle Excise Duty from April 2028, with others arguing that the change would make electric cars less available. The ban on the selling of petrol and diesel vehicles was first introduced in 2020 by then Prime Minister Boris Johnson - Badenoch, a cabinet member at the time, opposed the proposals. Rishi Sunak brought it back to 2035, with Labour promising to bring it forward in its 2024 election manifesto. The government remained

committed to phasing out all new non-zero emission vehicle and van sales,

according to a spokesperson for the Department of Transportation.

More drivers than ever are choosing electric," the company said. The next general election in the United Kingdom must be held by August 15th, 2029, but the prime minister may call an election at any time before this date.