to think the penny hasn't dropped yet, for many people, that the trade in new petrol and diesel cars is really ending in 6 years

[JadeClade]

I think the price of second hand cars will go through the roof, at first, when new cars are no longer available, and people buying new homes now really do need to be factoring in where they are going to charge an electric car, and all sorts of preparations and plans are simply not being made

YANBU - we need to be planning and preparing, as individuals and society.
YABU- we don't need to think about it.

The preview just said "It's very clear that most people commenting here have absolutely no real life experience of electricity" hehe

Why?

Unfortunately OP, it's clear from this thread, that public knowledge is not great with so many assumptions based on terrible media coverage. In this respect I genuinely don't know what's going to happen but suspect, as the fear and ignorance subsides, people will come to realise that electric cars aren't that onerous. In fact I would imagine most people will wonder why they didn't get one sooner.

Prices will come down, used stock will increase, ranges will improve, battery tech will change and the infrastructure will be unrecognisable from today. 6 years is a long time and if the last 6 years is anything to go by, the number of chargers will rise exponentially.

Apart from some extreme cases, electric won't be an issue and past 2030, people can still drive their ICE cars. They just won't be able to buy a new one, except in hybrid form (that ends in 2035).

I think more people will HP electric cars through tax-efficient employer schemes. I suspect a large number of newer cars these days aren’t actually owned outright by their drivers…

And no thought for the people who make them, that will have a knock on effect for the economy. Let’s see you say that in the next 20-30 yrs when you are struggling to carry shopping home on the bus if there is any buses running, it will come I promise.

Well, will everyone in the UK be able to afford to buy an electric car? No.

Are there enough known deposits of the various metals needed to make all the batteries? No.

So, either the ban on petrol and diesel won't happen, or you will have to go back in time to an age where people got the bus or rode a bike.

Of course, billionaires will still have massive yachts, but that's all ok apparently. Those emissions don't affect the planet at all. Only "pleb" emissions do.............

It’s not really going to be up to Rishi in the end is it?

The EU is committed to decarbonising cars on the same timescale as the U.K. is currently - if the U.K. diverges from that timeline the vehicle manufacturers will design for the largest market (hint, this isn’t the U.K.) so regardless of what legislation the U.K. has in place you won’t be able to buy a petrol or diesel car simply because the manufacturers aren’t making them because the EU has banned the sale of them.

I don't know a single person who buys cars from new, and only three people (all from the same family, my ex's) who regularly change their car. The price of used petrol cars may well rise, but it's a purchase you only make every 15 years or so so it's something you save up for anyway. I suspect that wealthier people do things differently, but by definition don't have to be as price conscious.

I would be quite happy to switch to electric once the charging infrastructure is significantly improved and the distance you can drive on a charge/ time taken to charge is sorted out. When I'm driving 600km a day I can't be doing with lengthy stops en route.

I can't see it happening by 2030. My work car park has around 200 cars in at a time, some spread over early and late shift. Prob 270 cars total through the gate in 24 hours. The 3 directors recently got electric cars and 2 chargers were installed. Not always there at once, they will swap around at some point in the day. All 3 get charged.
A 4th director has come on board recently and on Monday last week, his new electric company car was delivered. It has been carnage for the 2 chargers. And that is with 4 electric cars and they are not all always in.the office. The 3rd director has taken to coming in 3 or 4 times a week just to charge his car as prior to that, he came in once a month for the finance meeting. Reluctant to pay to charge at home despite his hefty wage.
One night, the MD took a work van home as we had power issues in the area and his car didn't get chance to charge during the day. Heads are falling off left and right and that is 4 cars.
Are they ripping the car park up to install 200 chargers? Is the average wage there paying enough to cover charging at home if the finance director cannot seemingly afford this at home? I can't wait to watch the dramas over the next few weeks 🙌🏽

My issue with insufficient supply for the points is not extreme. The project in question is the south east, not isolated at all. We CANNOT provide EV charging at all. The substation we are feeding off was upgraded 9 years ago, with a projected 30 year lifespan. In that 9 years the entire supply has been stripped.

We have an EV but I don't really like it, it's ok round town but we use a diesel to go any distance as I wouldn't want to be bothered with trying to find a charge up for it

I do think that in the not too distant future many people will book a autonomous car to pick them up and make a specific journey rather than owning.

I love having my car, but realistically it spend hours sat around doing nothing.

Those on shifts will get cheaper slots as the cars are in less demand at those points.

This isn't going to happen. The EU isn't going to follow through The UK isn't going to follow through. Even thinking it will happen is the absolute height of naivety

I love owning a car. It's cheap to run, very reliable, convenient and it is right there whenever i want it. The same can't be said for buses. It'll take a lot to make me give up my petrol car for an electric one, which are arguably also bad for the environment.

Exactly. Our public transport is diabolical. Without a car most people I know couldn’t get to work or get their children anywhere they need to be.

There’s a couple of buses a day from our town (rural-ish but really not that remote), and even then you can’t get one back! It’s a disgrace.

@WibblyWobblyLane

...your posts come across as almost gleeful that people will struggle...

This. ^

For those saying they’ll get a petrol or diesel car just before the deadline and then run it for 15+ years - when petrol/diesel cars start disappearing, and there’s less demand for fuel, are you certain your rural area petrol station will remain in business? If the demand is for fast charging stations- why would they keep the costly petrol pumps for reducing numbers?

I do think the 2030 time frame will slip (Sunak won’t say it’s slipping because he wants it to be Starmer who has to delay it), but it won’t be by much.

there are more 2nd hand EVs hitting the market - they might well be the cheaper option once the deadline comes in. Would you really buy a more expensive petrol car when you might have issues getting it fuelled /serviced /parts needed?

Sadly that's the nub of it.

I personally think the government have a harder task of properly educating people about the benefits of electric cars, than sorting out the infrastructure. That bit is easy.

new hybrids (non plug in) are meant to be stopped being sold by 2035. Were in a terraced house with parking at the side of our row not at the front & I am disabled (not a full time wheelchair user but can’t walk further than just pottering about the house with a walking stick, I’m 41) & am getting my first non plug in hybrid this year (been waiting since Jan but the backlog means it’s been delayed 7 months already). I’m hoping I can continue with hybrid more long term but unless we move house I could never have a plug in so would have to forgo my motability car so no idea how I would be able to leave my house as I need a very specific car to manage getting in & out of the vehicle, seat position, driving position, wheelchair space etc etc. however as my disability is degenerative one car for a lifetime isn’t doable as my current car doesn’t suit my needs any longer & I’ve had that over 3 1/2 year. I’m honestly dreading it & have no idea what I’m going to do

Given the challenges around infrastructure, it seems bizarre that we’re not seeing huge investment in public transport. Surely making that a truly viable option - both time and money-wise - should be top priority.

Aye there will be a lot of empty houses in rural areas

I imagine it will be some sort of carbon allowance. We all get to pick what it’s spent on, flights, cars, meat, pets, clothes, goods etc but we only get so much.

Or more likely a form of tax on these good’s depending on how bad they are, pay per mile of driving and on the car, it will be expensive and no doubt not well received but I can’t see them banning any of these things altogether

defo more tax!

What do you have? We are just researching these at the moment.

Guaranteed the date will slide! I’d say more likely 2040.

This is an incredibly unhelpful comment. What on earth are you saying? What is the correct info if you are so knowledgeable?