UK proposes ban on new diesel, gasoline trucks by 2040

The UK government said today that it will ban the sale of new diesel and gasoline-fuelled heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) by 2040, subject to a consultation.

The move is part of the government's transport-decarbonisation plan, which will be published in full later today. The government will consult on banning the sale of all new non-zero-emission road vehicles by 2040 at the latest.

"Transport is the largest contributor to UK greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), with road transport alone accounting for almost a quarter of our total emissions in 2019," the government said.

The government announced last year that the sale of new diesel and gasoline-fuelled cars would be banned from 2030, with hybrid cars following in 2035.

HGVs or trucks are mostly diesel fuelled and account for a large portion of overall diesel consumption in most European countries, along with agricultural vehicles like tractors. The UK government is not proposing to ban the sale of diesel or gasoline-fuelled tractors.

European diesel demand has been severely affected by the pandemic and resulting response measures, and is yet to recover to 2019 levels.

The government also said today that its 40,000-vehicle fleet will be zero-emission by 2027, earlier than it previously planned. It will also legislate later this year to require electric vehicle charging points to meet "smart charging" standards, and it will consult on committing the aviation sector to a net-zero emissions target by 2050.

There will also be sustainability plans outlined for the UK maritime and rail sectors, although timetables for these are unspecified.

By Benedict George