Could UK driving go all electric by 2035?

The European Parliament has approved new CO2 reduction targets, which will put a stop to sales of new cars and vans that feature a combustion engine from 2035. 

The new law will require manufacturers to achieve a 100% reduction in CO2 emissions from new cars sold in the European Union. This would effectively signal the end of sales of petrol, diesel, and hybrid cars across the continent.  

Petrol and diesel engines are both combustion engines, and work together with an electric motor and a battery in hybrid vehicles. 

The UK - famously no longer an EU member state - decided to end the sales of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030. However, as it stands, the sale of new hybrid cars will continue on these shores past 2035. 

Although the UK isn't obliged to follow suit on the 2035 target, it may just do so. Car manufacturers build their cars for the continent of Europe, rather than for the EU countries specifically, so any misalignment would be likely to affect the UK car market. 

“Fit for 55”

The new European legislation is part of the EU's “Fit for 55” campaign. It sets the path towards zero CO2 emissions in new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles in 2035. The full reduction will be based upon emissions figures on vehicles from 2021. An intermediate reduction target for 2030, which mirrors the UK schedule, is set at 55% for cars and 50% for vans. 

The “Fit for 55” package is a set of proposals from the EU to update its laws to put in place new initiatives, with the aim of ensuring that EU policies are in line with the climate goals of cutting greenhouse gas emissions, agreed by the European Council and Euro Parliament. 

Jan Huitema, the EU Parliament's lead negotiator for the law, said: "This regulation encourages the production of zero and low-emission vehicles. It contains an ambitious revision of the targets for 2030 and a zero-emission target for 2035, which is crucial to reach climate-neutrality by 2050."

Going all electric?

Despite initial scepticism regarding EVs and electric driving, the UK has seen a massive increase in the sales of fully electric cars in recent years. 

Since the launch of the MG4 EV in September 2022, it soon became MG's second most popular car in its range and scooped a ton of motoring awards. With its affordable pricing, top tech, and massive 365-mile driving range, the MG4 has become a favourite of EV drivers and experts alike. 

A myth that used to surround electric driving is that EV batteries were weak and unreliable, and they took an age to charge. With the launch of the EV6 GT, Kia blew any doubts about the reputation electric driving. 

The award-winning Kia EV6 GT is the most powerful car the Korean brand has ever produced, EV or otherwise. It is powered by a dual electric motor and can achieve a whopping 577bhp. The EV6 GT can also be charged 10-80% in less than 20 minutes with ultra-rapid charging. 

Suzuki has been slightly slower regarding pure electric driving. They have put their efforts into making their cars hybrid as standard, and with great success. The reliability and fuel efficiency of the Ignis and Swift models are up there with the very best. 

Suzuki did, however, recently announce at the Auto Expo 2023 that its first EV that will enter the European market - the Suzuki eVX. The fully electric SUV is set to go on sale in 2025, and will be followed by four other electric vehicles in its UK electric range by 2030 - one of which might just be a Jimny EV!