UK to ban diesel and petrol vehicles from 2040

The UK government is set to announce a ban on new diesel and petrol cars and vans in the country from 2040, according to the BBC.

A £225m fund to help tackle emissions from diesel vehicles, as part of a £3 billion package on air quality spending, is also set to be announced, the BBC claims.

Following a legal battle, the government was ordered by the High Court to produce new plans to deal with illegal levels of the harmful pollutant nitrogen dioxide. The new clean air strategy is set to favour electric cars, and could also lead to changes in buses and other vehicles to make them cleaner.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has responded to the news, stressing outright bans on diesel vehicles could hurt the motoring sector.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, told the BBC: "Currently demand for alternatively fuelled vehicles is growing but still at a very low level. The industry instead wants a positive approach which gives consumers incentives to purchase these cars. We could undermine the UK's successful automotive sector if we don't allow enough time for the industry to adjust."

Earlier in 2017, French president Emmanuel Macron announced similar plans to end the sale of diesel and petrol cars in France by 2040. Meanwhile, Swedish car maker Volvo has said all of its new cars will have an electric engine from 2019.

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