IS THE CAMPERVAN FUTURE ELECTRIC?

With the sale of new fossil fuel vehicles due to be banned in 2030, and hybrids in 2035, is it time to go electric? Electric vehicle owner Peter Rosenthal considers the pros and cons

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I don’t know about you, but most people seem utterly baffled by the future of motoring in the UK. Government tinkering with the Zero Emission Vehicle deadlines for electric vehicles hasn’t helped.

The automotive industry has had to deal with the erratic nature of these back-and-forth decisions and it’s now little wonder that most consumers’ heads are spinning.

The UK’s original timeline was to transition to a ban on the sale of new fossil fuel vehicles by 2030, in line with the EU-wide goal - set by the Paris Agreement - of reaching net zero for carbon emissions by 2050. Rishi Sunak then moved it forward to 2035, before Keir Starmer pledged to bring it back to 2030.

The aim is for new vehicles powered only by fossil fuel to be phased out by 2030, with the sale of new hybrid fossil fuel vehicles allowed until 2035. After pushback from the manufacturers over bringing the date to the original 2030, a consultation is taking place over the timing. As I write this, the deadline is still set at 2035.

According to a recent AA survey of 14,000 UK motorists, 7% of people believe that this ban affects the sale of used fossil fuel vehicles.

This is incorrect - used fossil fuel vehicles can still be bought and sold after the ban, and you can expect to see fossil fuel-powered vehicles on our roads for at least another 50 years or so. Fuel companies have committed to providing fuel for them.

Consequently, it is highly likely that new businesses will spring up, offering to recondition fossil fuel vehicles to 'as new' condition, if there is a suitable level of demand for them.

The same thing has started to happen with electric vehicle (EV) battery recycling firms. Replacing a battery pack is now far cheaper and costs a similar amount to replacing a vehicle engine.

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