Survey finds many believe the current 2035 deadline for ending the sale of new internal combustion engine cars will not be met, new research has revealed
Back in 2020, the UK Government announced the ban of new petrol and diesel models from 2030. However, in September 2023, Rishi Sunak delayed this deadline for another five years. In its election manifesto, Labour said it would bring the date forward again, but this is still to be confirmed.
According to a survey of over 2000 Brits conducted by biofuel brand SUSTAIN, 52 per cent feel the 2035 deadline will not be met, while 59 per cent of motorists driving a petrol or diesel car plan on keeping it going for as long as possible. Half of the respondents (50 per cent) felt the environmental impact of scrapping a car in good working order would be too great, while 40 per cent believed EVs don’t suit their needs. Over a quarter (27 per cent) of Brits are planning to buy an ICE car close to the deadline so that it keeps them going for at least another decade.
The findings also revealed people aren’t questioning the timing, but also the approach being taken. Over half (54 per cent) of those surveyed said they’d like to hear more about alternative sustainable motoring options and to stop feeling forced down one particular path, which is currently the switch to EVs. But awareness for other options remains low – over a third (34 per cent) admitted they had either not heard of sustainable fuel or didn’t know what it was.
SUSTAIN’s David Richardson said: “Clearly, electric vehicles offer a lot of benefits and should form part of our environmental strategy. However, as a company that specialises in sustainable fuel, we urge the Government to embrace the opportunities that our category, and others, present. We don’t have to pit one solution against another – we should be utilising all the available technologies.”
Created by fuel specialist Coryton, SUSTAIN is manufactured from agricultural waste that wouldn’t be used for consumption. It utilises the carbon that already exists in the atmosphere, which the plants absorb as they grow, rather than releasing additional CO2 that is currently locked underground in fossil fuel.
This year, SUSTAIN’s biofuel blends have been used to set world powerboating speed records, as well as supporting the environmental efforts of events like CarFest and Goodwood Revival.
