EU petrol car sales ban to be delayed until 2040: What will it mean for the UK?

The EU is rumoured to be on the cusp of delaying its ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars until 2040. The ban is currently due to come into force from 2035 across Europe but the Sunday Times is quoting ‘senior industry leaders’ who have confirmed privately that the delay will be announced and that car makers have already been tipped off. 

Any such move by the EU would be likely to increase pressure on the UK government to push back its own petrol and diesel ban, which is set to be enforced from 2030 - having been brought forward from 2035 by the current Labour government. It is believed, however, that while the UK’s intended 2030 ban would still allow some hybrid cars that could travel an as yet undefined ‘meaningful’ distance on electric power to be sold until 2035, the EU’s 2040 cut-off would only allow pure-electric cars to remain on sale. 

The EU has been under pressure to rethink its scheduled ban for some time, not least from the German government but also from authorities in Italy, Portugal, Slovakia and Bulgaria who floated an alternative plan in the summer. They favour a technology-neutral target that would mandate a 90 per cent cut in car CO2 emissions by 2035 and a 100% target by 2040. Car makers would have flexibility on how to hit the target. Any EU announcement would also come in the wake of US president Donald Trump reversing policies that were designed to encourage American consumers into electric cars. 

Although the German car makers have been outspoken in their opposition to the ban, some other automotive manufacturers who are further down the road to full electrification of their product ranges have been urging the EU to hold firm. Volvo CEO, Hakan Samuelsson said recently: “I don’t see the logic in slowing down”. 

In the UK, electric car sales have been growing strongly and are up 26 per cent for 2025 to date but the rate of growth has slowed in recent months with November sales up 3.6% on 2024. Many manufacturers are also struggling to hit ZEV mandate targets that require 28 per cent of their sales to be zero-emission vehicles in 2025 and 33 per cent in 2026. 

The government's Electric Car Grant announced in August has been followed up by plans for an eVED pay-per-mile tax on electric cars due in 2028, in what appear to be a series of mixed messages for consumers thinking about making the switch to an EV. 

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