Business secretary: we can’t delay drive to EV

  02 December 2024

In a weekend OpEd, business secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the government is determined to work with the car industry to increase take-up, boost jobs and hit emissions targets – but added the UK’s drive for EVs cannot be delayed or “our rivals will overtake us”.

He said more than 2 in 3 OEMs had previously supported a full transition to EVs by 2030, before the previous government delayed the deadline for ending the sale of new petrol and diesel cars. The delay “delivered a huge blow to our credibility, risking investment, jobs and growth”.

The new government has “made a cast-iron commitment… to restore the original 2030 date to transition to electric vehicles and phase out the sales of new cars with internal combustion engines”.

A fast-tracked consultation over how the government will support the industry in the transition “is about how, not if we reach this ambition.

“Delaying the transition only makes it harder and more expensive for industry and families in the long run.”

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