Net Zero Watch welcomes Gov't rethink on combustion engine ban

London, 29 March - Net Zero Watch has welcomed reports that the government is considering to follow the EU's decision not to ban combustion engine cars.

The campaign group has renewed its call for Rishi Sunak to abandon the UK's 2030 ban of the sale of ICE cars and follow the EU's U-turn.

Now that the European ban of the sale of combustion engine cars has been overturned, the government has no option but to follow suit if it wants to avoid destroying the British car industry for good,” said Dr Benny Peiser, director of Net Zero Watch.

According to the EU agreement signed off in Brussels on Tuesday conventional cars can continue to be sold and registered after 2035 if they only use fuels that are CO2-neutral. This will allow car makers to continue producing and selling conventional models indefinitely.

British carmakers are already understood to be examining e-fuels as an option for powering future models.

For millions of Britons electric vehicles will not be a viable solution as they are much more expensive than cars with combustion engines. And electric cars will probably still be more expensive than conventional cars in seven years.