The world is moving toward the clean air revolution. Various countries have decided to achieve net zero carbon emissions worldwide. The united kingdom becomes the first European country to set the goal of achieving net zero emissions by the year 2050. The law of electric car in united kingdom.
United kingdom will ban the sales of new petrol and diesel-powered vehicles by the year 2030. All new vehicles sold in the united kingdom will be zero-emission vehicles till 2035. United kingdom has a net zero target by the year 2050. In order to achieve this goal, the united kingdom has a 10-point plan. Electric vehicles are an important component of the zero-emission strategy. They contribute to the major amount of carbon emissions. The United Kingdom is improving charging infrastructure and the sales of plug-in electric vehicles and electric vehicles.
Here we try to discuss the electric car law in the united kingdom and elaborate on all aspects of this law. We went through accurate data and reports, and We also get a detailed look at the electric car law in London in this article.
Current Electric Vehicle Market in the United Kingdom
The Data shows that the United Kingdom is among Europe’s largest markets for electric vehicles in 2020. But in the same year, Hybrid and plug-in electric vehicles were about 10 percent of car registrations in the United Kingdom.
In 2021, 1.65 million new passenger cars were registered in the United Kingdom. This was a little increase from the last year which was around 1.63 million.
At the end of 2020, in September and December, the United Kingdom has shown a peak in the number of battery-electric vehicles registered. It was nearly 22000 new registered battery electric vehicles, according to Statista.
Plug-in hybrid cars had peak registrations of about 12400 new registrations, in September 2020. Coming to the data of registration for plug-in hybrid cars which are eligible for the grants, they kept rising in number and were 270000 registrations in the 4th quarter of 2020.
Battery and hybrid electric vehicles (EVs) in 2022 contribute to more than half of all new cars sold and sales of have risen by 70% from the last year, the official site states.
Another key insight is that the sales of electric cars have increased from less than 1000 in the year 2011 to 100000 in the first quarter of 2022.
From the above data, it is clear that adoption of the electric vehicles has been raised over time, like in any other European country. The strategies for the net zero goal have helped the united kingdom to achieve a significant increase in the zero-emission goals.
Electric Car Law in the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom has planned to end the sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles by the year 2030 and with the goal of having all new electric cars and vans to be Zero Emission at the tailpipe, by the year 2035.
United kingdom’s electric vehicle infrastructure strategy is to set the vision and action to prepare a charging infrastructure, before the petrol, and diesel vehicles phase-out begin.
On Aug 25, 2022, the UK government published a policy paper named “UK electric vehicle infrastructure strategy”. This elaborates on the vision and action plan for electric vehicle charging infrastructure to be developed within the United Kingdom.
This is part of the net zero strategies of the united kingdom, which focuses on decarbonizing all the sectors in the UK and reaching the net zero target by 2050.
There are several missions covered under the net zero target, and the electric car law in the UK is one of them. Though the announcements have been pointed to 2035, the work has already started on it. The United Kingdom has been making strategic decisions in order to reach its net zero goal.
Overview of the EV Roadmap in the United Kingdom
The goal of achieving the zero-emission target by the year 2050 looks like a future plan, but the strategy has been building since 2017. Here we try to cover the year-by-year progress of the plan and roadmap from the time when the strategy was in pipeline to the current scenario, based on the available data. Have a look.
Air Quality Plan
In July 2017, the Government of the United Kingdom Announced the Air Quality Plan. The plan was to end the sales of the new petrol and diesel cars and vans by the year 2040.
Road To Zero Strategy
In July 2018, the government announced the road to zero strategies. This strategy was about how the government is going to support the reduction of emissions from conventional petrol, and diesel vehicles. The government established a plan to transition road transportation to Zero emission transport.
Goal to bring Emissions to Zero
In July 2019, the united kingdom set the goal to bring down all greenhouse gas emissions (combined from all sectors) to net zero by 2050 becomes law.
10-Point Plan for the Green Industrial Revolution
In November 2020, the United Kingdom set its 10-point plan for the green industrial revolution. United Kingdom was the first G7 country to set a law for a net zero emission goal by the year 2050. After the 10-point plan government launched the consultation on the phase-out of the combustion engine conventional vehicles.
Consultation Response
In march 2021, the response from consultation came out on the end of the sales of the new petrol, diesel-powered vehicles. This included several points. It included that all new electric cars and vans be Zero Emissions at the tailpipe, by the year 2035. Sale of the new cars and vans must be the only of zero-emission vehicles. The phase-out would start in 2030.
CO2 Emissions Green Paper & Net Zero Strategy Announcement
In 2021, the united kingdom government published the CO2 emissions green paper. After a few months, the government announced the net-zero strategies, which included the decarbonization of all sectors of the UK economy.
Implementation of Net Zero Strategy
In 2022, the Outcomes of the mandate for the co2 emissions green paper were published. And mandate consultation started which closed in June 2022. And 2024 January 1 is set to be the target date for the implementation of the legislation.
| Year | Key Highlights |
|---|---|
| July 2017 | Air Quality Plan |
| July 2018 | Road to Zero Strategy |
| July 2019 | Set the Goal To Bring Greenhouse Gases Emissions To Zero by 2050 |
| Nov 2020 | 10-point plan for Green Industrial Revolution |
| March 2021 | Consultation Response to have all new vehicles to be zero emission by 2035 |
| Year 2021 | CO2 emission green paper published. Announcement of the Net Zero strategy. |
| Year 2022 | Outcomes of the mandate for the co2 emissions green paper were published. |
| Jan 1, 2024 | The target date for the implementation of the legislation. |
What is the United Kingdom Net Zero Target?
In October 2021, the United Kingdom Published the 10-point plan for the green industrial revolution. This was with the goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050. The 10-point plan included electric vehicles also.
In that plan, the government has set the date to 2030 instead of 2040, for the phase-out of the ICE vehicles. While the exemption is given to hybrid vehicles till 2035. This means from 2030 United kingdom will ban the sale of new diesel-powered vehicles.
The previous announcement which had a deadline of 2040, did not include the hybrid vehicles. But the new one has included hybrid vehicles, that’s why the UK was left with the only option to adopt fully electric vehicles.
Later on, The official policy paper includes the UK electric vehicle infrastructure strategy on august 25, 2022. The UK wants to roll out a charging infrastructure before the phase-out begins. Under the net Zero Target, Electric Vehicles are the key role players. The Distribution of electric vehicles and the charging infrastructure is important.
What are the Reasons for the United Kingdom’s Net Zero Strategies?
The main reasons for the net zero strategies are,
- It will help in reaching net zero emissions in the air and this contributes to clean air.
- It will bring new green jobs, and drive investments in sustainable businesses.
- Britain’s reliance on fossil fuels will be reduced and will help its economy.
What is the Budget For the Electric Car Law in the United Kingdom?
From the net zero target strategy, a good amount of the budget is dedicated to electric vehicles also. Coming to budget, £1.3 billion are dedicated to moving forward in the roll-out of EV charging points. From that now £300 million will be refocused to boost the sales of plug-in vans, taxis, motorcycles, trucks, and wheelchair-accessible vehicles.
Apart from the £1.3 billion for the charge points, another £582 million will be provided in grants for buying the new Electric Vehicles; £500 million will be dedicated to the development of the mass-scale production of Electric Vehicle batteries.
So there are three main components of the united kingdom electric car law.
| Component | Budget |
|---|---|
| EV charge points | £1.3 billion |
| Grants for buying new electric vehicles | £582 million |
| Mass-scale production of Electric vehicle batteries | £500 million |
What are the Different Incentives and Grants for Electric Cars in the United Kingdom?
Various incentives are provided to the purchasers and the citizens, automakers in order to grow the sales of electric vehicles in the market. Here are some schemes for electric vehicles.
- Grants for electric vehicle charger purchase and Installation
- Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS)
Under the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) the individual buyers of Electric Vehicles which are eligible under the scheme will receive a grant for up to 75% (capped at £350, inc. VAT) of the cost (including the purchase and installation) of one Electric Vehicle charger at the home.
The eligible cars include Company cars and leased cars also. The scheme is about to expand for providing extra help for people in flats and rental properties.
The eligible cars for the EVHS scheme are,
- Audi Q4 e-Tron
- BMW 330e
- Fiat 500e
- Ford Kuga PHEV
- Honda e
- Jaguar I-Pace
- Lexus UX 300e
- Mercedes-Benz EQC
- Mini Electric
- Nissan Leaf
- Polestar 2
- Skoda Enyaq iV
- Tesla Model 3
- Volkswagen ID.4
- Volvo XC40 P8 Pure Electric.
- EV charger grant for workplaces:
This scheme provides the upfront costs (Purchase and Installation) of electric vehicle charging points at the workplaces.
The workplaces and firms can cover 75% of all the cost ( purchase and installation costs) up to a maximum of £350 for each individual socket, for up to a maximum of 40 sockets across all sites of the workplace.
- Company Tax Benefits:
Companies and businesses can access the 100% first-year allowance (FYA) for electric vehicle charging equipment expenditures.
- Incentives and Grants for the Electric Vehicles
- Plug-in hybrid car grant
The plug-in hybrid car grants have now been ended. Previously the grants came into existence in 2011, with the grants up to £5,000 ($6,089) or 25 percent of the cost of the car for the plug-in hybrid cars, but were gradually reduced to £1,500 ($1,827).
Now in June, it was announced that they have done their work of boosting the market and now they will be stopped. Though the grants for the cars are ended, the funds are refocused on other types of vehicles.
Why UK Government ended the Plug-in Hybrid Car Grants?
As the official statement in June 2022 tells, the plug-in hybrid car grants have been ended. The reason for the end of these grants is said that there is a need to focus on other things in order to reach the net zero goal.
The Plug-in Vehicle Grant has helped successfully kickstart the electric car market, so we’re now focusing support on getting even more types of electric vehicles on the road, from taxis to vans, to power the green revolution.⚡https://t.co/bgCcIToAcs pic.twitter.com/PWoArc35C8
— Department for Transport (@transportgovuk) June 14, 2022
- More concentration on other types of electric vehicles
The government will now concentrate on funding for the expansion of the public ChargePoint network, and the other electric categories such as electric taxis, vans, trucks, motorcycles, and wheelchair-accessible vehicles.
- The scheme has done its work
The government says the scheme has created a market for ultra-low emission vehicles. The sales of electric cars have increased from less than 1000 in the year 2011 to 100000 in the first quarter of 2022. Now 1 in 6 new cars sold is electric. More than half of the new cars sold are entirely battery electric vehicles.
In the statement, the government says that the government was always clear about the plug-in hybrid car grants and that these grants will be applicable only till 2022-2023.
- Refocusing the Budget
They reduced the amount in the grants gradually so that there will be no effect of the removal of the grants. The government will now refocus £300 million in the grant funding for increasing the sales of plug-in vans, taxis, motorcycles, trucks, and wheelchair-accessible vehicles.
So the reason for ending the grants for plug-in hybrid cars is that Government will now concentrate on funding for the expansion of the public ChargePoint network, and the other electric categories such as electric taxis, vans, trucks, motorcycles, and wheelchair-accessible vehicles.
- Tax Exemptions:
Electric vehicle owners can get various tax benefits and tax exemptions.
- Parking
Free parking is available for electric vehicles in many places, also some discounts are provided in the towns.
Electric Car Law In London
London is also working on zero emissions. London has been focusing on developing the electric car charging infrastructure. London is currently involved in electric car laws, which include,
- All the cars support fleets will be zero emission by the year 2025
- All new cars and vans which are less than 3.5 tonnes, will be capable of zero-emission by the year 2025. This includes the response vehicles also.
- And those vehicles which are greater than 3.5 tonnes, called Heavy Vehicles will be fossil fuel-free from the year 2030.
The charging infrastructure is something on which London is working fast. London has a task force that will be involved in implementing the delivery plan and setting up the charging infrastructure. The delivery plan is basically an estimate of the number of chargers that will be required for electric vehicles in the future.
According to the delivery plan, the electric vehicles will require 2300-4100 rapid charging points and 33700-44500 slow and fast chargers based on the estimate of 330,000 vehicles, by 2025.
EV Charging Requirements In the United Kingdom
From June 2022. the new Electric Vehicle charging requirements have been coming into force, in England. These requirements focus on the availability of charge points at residential and non-residential buildings. Here is what these requirements include,
- New Home:
Every new home, whether it is the newly purchased one, made by change of use, or having a parking space, must have the ChargePoint for electric vehicles.
- Residential Buildings:
All those residential buildings, that are undergoing any major renovation, and have more than 10 parking spaces, should abide by the rules. There should be at least one ChargePoint for the electric vehicles per dwelling and there should be cable routes available at all other parking spaces with no EV charge points.
- Non-residential Buildings:
The new Non-residential buildings, having more than 10 parking spaces, should have at least one electric vehicle charge point. There should be cable routes for 20 percent of the parking spaces, which means one in five parking spaces.
Any non-residential building undergoing a major renovation with more than 10 parking spaces, should have at least one charge point for the electric vehicles. And there should be cable routes for 20 percent of the parking spaces, which means one in five parking spaces.
| Building Type | Charging Requirements |
|---|---|
| New Home | Every new home, whether it is the newly purchased one, made by change of use, or having a parking space, must have the ChargePoint for electric vehicles. |
| Residential (Undergoing Major renovation) With more than 10 parking spaces | There should be at least one ChargePoint for the electric vehicles per dwelling and there should be cable routes available at all other parking spaces with no EV charge points. |
| Non-Residential (With more than 10 parking spaces) | Should have at least one electric vehicle charge point. There should be cable routes for 20 percent of the parking spaces, which means one in five parking spaces. |
| Non-Residential (Undergoing Major renovation) (With more than 10 parking spaces) | Should have at least one charge point for the electric vehicles. And there should be cable routes for 20 percent of the parking spaces, which means one in five parking spaces. |
Need Of Rapid Chargers
The government’s official website states that rapid chargers are essential in order to obtain an easy switch for Londoners to electric vehicles. Normally charging takes 7-8 hours and the rapid chargers can charge within 20-30 minutes.
At the beginning of the year 2020, there were nearly 5,000 charge points, which means one for every six electric cars in the capital, and 25% of all the charging points in the United Kingdom.
Challenges:
Rising prices of electricity are an issue!
Wion reports, the cost of using the public rapid car chargers for electric vehicles, has risen by 42 percent, in just 4 months. Since May, the average cost of using rapid public chargers for electric vehicles per kilowatt hour (kWh) had grown from 18.75 pence in may to 63.29 pence in September.
That means if a user is paying 18 pence per mile for electricity, Petrol users pay 19 pence and diesel users pay 21 pence. The gap between fuel and electric vehicles is narrowing.
Conclusion
United kingdom is on the way to achieving the net zero target by 2050. Decarbonization of all sectors of the economy is an important part of it. Electric vehicles are one of the major and significant components of the zero-emission goal. United kingdom will ban the sales of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030.
Automakers need to make a certain percentage of electric vehicles by 2024. The parts of the laws focus on incentives, grants, charging infrastructure, and mass battery production. For charging infrastructure, the regulations are out, according to that, every new home will have a charging point.
The residential buildings and the non-residential buildings including the workplaces need to have charge points. Grants are being provided to boost the sales of electric vehicles.
One in six new cars joining the roads of the UK is zero emission capable. The rising prices of electricity and use of the public chargers are the issue of concern.
FAQs
What is the UK Government’s Plan for Electric Vehicles?
United Kingdom’s latest plan for electric vehicles is to increase the sales of plug-in vans, taxis, motorcycles, trucks, and wheelchair-accessible vehicles. Also, the equally important mission is to develop and upgrade the electric infrastructure for electric vehicle charging.
Till When Scotland has Zero-Emission Vehicles?
Scotland has determined a goal of having all zero-emission vehicles by 2032, three years earlier than the united kingdom’s ban on diesel-powered vehicle sales. United kingdom to have the new vehicles sold to be fully zero emission on the road by 2035.
What does the EV Charging Bill Mean for the UK?
The EV charging Bill means that the government will have the power to set regulations for the charging infrastructure. The government can improve the charging network by issuing strict or soft regulations.
What is the EVHS Scheme in the United Kingdom?
EVHS scheme is Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS). Under this scheme, the individual buyers of Electric Vehicles eligible under the scheme will receive a grant of up to 75% (capped at £350, inc. VAT) of the cost (including the purchase and installation) of one Electric Vehicle charger at the home.
How many Green Jobs will be Created after the New Electric Car Law in the UK?
Around 250000 highly skilled green jobs will be created by the year 2030, claims the Government of the UK. After the implementation of the net zero strategies, there will be new investments and new green jobs will be available.
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