Mubasher: The UK government plans to bring forward the end of selling new diesel, petrol (gasoline), and hybrid vehicles by 2035, CNBC recently reported.

Under the new plan, which is subject to consultation, consumers are likely to choose between either electric or hydrogen cars. British authorities previously said selling new petrol and diesel vehicles would come to an end by 2040.   

The new target testifies the success of the British government’s strategy, which is valued at GBP 1.5 billion ($1.95 billion) and aims to facilitate the purchasing process of electric vehicles as possible.  

Commenting on the announcement, the UK’s transport secretary, Grant Shapps, said, “We want to go further than ever before. That’s why we are bringing forward our already ambitious target to end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars to tackle climate change and reduce emissions.”

A fully electric car was sold every 15 minutes in 2019, the government claimed.    

President of driving association the AA, Edmund King, moreover, noted that while drivers encourage environment-friendly decisions, the phaseout of new diesel and petrol car sales is incredibly challenging.   

Recent figures showed that in 2019, battery electric vehicle registrations in the UK grew by 144% to 37,850 from 15,510 in 2018. While this growth is tempting to low and zero-emission vehicle supporters, battery electric vehicles, however, saw a market share of just 1.6% last year, while hybrid electric vehicles had a 4.2% share. On the other hand, petrol and diesel registered a market share of 64.8% and 25.2%, respectively.