Delaying the ban on petrol and diesel new cars will “undermine” what manufacturer Ford needs from the Government, the company has warned.
It is being widely reported that the date for when conventionally fuelled new cars can no longer be sold in the UK will be pushed back from 2030 to 2035.
Lisa Brankin, who chairs Ford UK, said: “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 (electric vehicle) market in the short term and supporting consumers while headwinds are strong: infrastructure remains immature, tariffs loom and cost-of-living is high.”
Another car maker, Stellantis, said “clarity is required from governments on important legislation”.
A spokesman for Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) said: “JLR is investing £15 billion over the next five years to electrify our luxury brands, which is key to JLR reaching net zero carbon emissions across our supply chain, products and operations by 2039.
“Our plans are on track and we welcome certainty around legislation for the end of sale of petrol and diesel powered cars.”
A spokesman for BMW, which owns the Mini brand, said: “Mini has already announced that it will become a purely electric brand from 2030 globally and this will not change.”
Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), said high demand for electric cars within the UK is needed if more are to be built in the country.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “You want to build close to where you sell, so you need a strong market here in the UK to help secure future investment.
“The concern now is, does this cause consumers to delay their purchase?”
Mr Hawes, who is a key figure representing car makers in the UK, said he had heard “nothing” from ministers in the previous 24 hours.
SMMT figures show the private share of the market for battery electric new cars has already fallen from more than a third (36.2%) in the first half of 2022 to less than a quarter (24.2%) during the same period this year.
Demand has grown for fleet registrations, partly due to the lower company car tax for electric cars.
Mr Hawes said he was “assured” on Monday that the zero emission vehicles mandate – a requirement for manufacturers to increase the proportion of new cars and vans they sell that are zero emission – will still be introduced.
It is due to be implemented from the beginning of next year.
Mr Hawes said: “We’re trying to understand what is going to happen next between this sort of statement (on the 2030 ban) and that policy, and the message it sends consumers, which must be incredibly confusing.”
Former Aston Martin boss Dr Andy Palmer said there was a “great deal of disappointment” in the UK’s auto industry.
He told BBC Radio 4’s World At One: “The industry is already determined that we’re going to have electric cars.
“And countries like the US are protecting their industry, whereas countries like China are projecting their industry. And the real risk here is that by not having an aggressive strategy, we’re just opening the door to basically Chinese sales.”
This U-turn will cause a huge headache for manufacturers, who are crying out for clarity and consistency, and it is hardly going to encourage the vast majority of drivers who are yet to buy an electric car to make the switch— Ian Plummer, Auto Trader
He also said the move would “absolutely” affect the investment decisions of battery manufacturers such as InoBat, where he serves as chairman.
Ian Plummer, commercial director at online vehicle marketplace Auto Trader, said: “Pushing back the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel sales by five years is a hugely retrograde step which puts politics ahead of net zero goals.
“This U-turn will cause a huge headache for manufacturers, who are crying out for clarity and consistency, and it is hardly going to encourage the vast majority of drivers who are yet to buy an electric car to make the switch.
“Rather than grasp the challenge and use the tax system to ease concerns over affordability, the Prime Minister has taken the easy option with one eye on polling day.”
Steve Gooding, director of motoring research charity the RAC Foundation, said: “With the car industry confident about its ability to make the switch away from pure petrol and diesel engines by 2030 whilst still meeting the appetite of the UK market for new cars, it is hard to see why anyone in No 10 thinks now is a good moment to row back.”
But Tory MP for Lincoln Karl McCartney described Rishi Sunak’s reported plans as “the common-sense decision”.
He said the “costs to normal drivers will be too high” if the 2030 ban is maintained.
He added: “The only people who will complain about this delay are the central London eco-zealots who do not live in the real world and are rich enough not to be affected.”
