Stuart Rowley, the boss of Ford in Europe, has expressed concerns over the petrol and diesel car ban, and the possibility of bringing it forward to 2032.

In an interview on Radio 5 live’s Wake Up To Money, Mr Rowley highlighted a number of issues with the push for an all-electric car market. These included infrastructure, required investment and the collaboration required between industry, government, local authorities and consumers.

He also spoke out in support of plug-in hybrids, saying “They can be an important part of the technology mix”.

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The Department for Transport was critical of plug-in hybrids in a statement, highlighting that they’re not always used in zero-emission mode, if at all. We recently reported on how plug-in hybrids can use up to three times the fuel stated by official figures when the plug-in facility isn’t fully utilised.

This is why, the government says, it’s including them in the ban. Industry experts warn that this has compromised an important stepping stone for buyers on the road to zero-emission motoring.

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“Whether we are going to achieve 2035 or 2032, it’s going to require huge investment and for us to work together as an industry, the government, cities and consumers to make this transition,” Rowley said.

“Today very few people have the ability to charge an electric vehicle, whether it be at home or whether it be in public places. The investment in the infrastructure is going to be critical, that requires government investment, cities to organise for that, and people to be able to install charging in their homes.”

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“We’re putting 1,000 charging facilities at our plants and offices, and we’re going to need to see more across the country, not just in the big cities.”

The gulf in distribution of electric car chargers is a real issue. London, for instance, is home to 25 percent of the 10,800 electric charging locations in the UK. Meanwhile, Wales hosts just three percent of chargers at present.

In 2040, 2035, 2032 or maybe 2030 – it’s difficult to predict when the government will ban the sales of non-electric vehicles. But a recent survey suggests motorists are feeling relaxed about the ban.

A snap online poll found that almost three in five (58 percent) of motorists said the proposed ban won’t affect their car-buying decisions. Just 28 percent said they felt more inclined to buy an electric car.

Benjamin Hunt, a motoring trade analyst at Carwow isn’t surprised by the poll. He points to the fact that the average life of a car is currently around 13 years, which makes the 2035 date seem like a long way off. Even the rumoured 2030 cut-off is a decade away. Some motorists might buy a couple of cars in that time, especially if they’re locked into a PCP deal.

‘Electric isn’t quite right’

Hunt said: “One is unlikely to consider purchasing an EV or hybrid vehicle based purely on the government’s announcement alone, purely as the financial impact 15 years away from the rules coming into effect are still so insignificant.

“If looking to invest in a new vehicle, consumers shouldn’t necessarily ignore petrol, diesel or hybrid. The simple reality is that electric isn’t quite right for every motorists’ needs just yet and, despite the bad press given, traditional cars are showing increasing levels of efficiency.”

Hunt references the Peugeot 208 to highlight the price difference between a conventional supermini and an electric version. A Peugeot 208 Active would cost £16,250 with its smallest petrol engine, while the e-208 would cost £28,550, albeit before the government plug-in car grant. 

In conclusion, Hunt said: “On balance, while consumer demand is naturally moving away from diesel and, to a lesser extent, petrol vehicles, in reality there is little for the immediate consumer to worry about.“

Which, in summary, means you’re free to go out and buy that Ford Mustang 5.0 V8. Get one while stocks last, etc.

New research shows just 30 percent of people working in the automotive industry believe the UK government is doing enough to incentivise electric cars.

That’s according to a DNV GL survey of motoring manufacturers, charge point operators, power suppliers and investors. However, 69 percent still feel the ‘Road to Zero’ goal of half of new cars being ultra-low-emissions by 2030 is achievable.

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In total, 48 percent said they’d consider buying an electric vehicle for their next car. However, 42 percent said ‘not now’.

That kind of reluctance is widespread across British car buyers. A 2019 survey by the Transport Research Laboratory found that just one in four people in the UK have a fully electric car on their shopping list for the next five years.

It’s also worth noting that the government Plug-in Car Grant is due to elapse at the end of March 2020. As yet, there has been no word on whether it will be extended, or what could replace it.

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The AA has proposed that VAT be slashed on electric cars. Incentives are a hot topic too, given the bringing forward of the internal combustion vehicle sale ban, from 2040 to 2035.

There’s even talk that it could be brought forward to as soon as 2030.

Car manufacturers have created their own incentives, with scrappage schemes and deposit contributions. And they have their own reasons to shift low- and zero-emissions cars, too. Soon, if the average emissions of their ranges exceed 95g/km CO2, they will face heavy fines.