EU delays petrol car ban to 2040 – will the UK follow suit?

The EU is reportedly set to delay its ban on new petrol and diesel cars until 2040, five years later than planned. The move, expected to be confirmed in Brussels, has already been quietly communicated to carmakers, according to senior industry figures quoted by The Sunday Times.

If confirmed, this would be a major shift for Europe and could raise questions about whether the UK might rethink its own 2030 petrol and diesel ban.

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Brussels softens its stance

The European Commissioner for Transport, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, hinted at the change, saying: “Europe must keep all technologies open.” This echoes Germany’s push to avoid a full ban on combustion engines, led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

While Germany’s car industry has long been sceptical about the original 2035 cut-off, some manufacturers disagree. Volvo’s CEO, Hakan Samuelsson, recently said: “I don’t see the logic in slowing down,” urging the EU to stick with the original plan.

Why the EU is changing course

Several EU countries, including Germany, Italy, Portugal, Slovakia, and Bulgaria, have pushed Brussels to rethink the ban. Their proposal focuses on reducing emissions by 90% by 2035 and fully decarbonising cars by 2040, without forcing a switch to any specific technology.

The timing comes after the US also reversed policies designed to encourage Americans to buy electric cars, adding to the global debate about the pace of change.

What does this mean for UK drivers?

Electric car sales in the UK are still growing, up 26% so far in 2025, but growth has slowed, with November sales only 3.6% higher than last year. Many carmakers are also struggling to hit government targets that require 28% of cars sold in 2025 to be zero-emission, rising to 33% in 2026.

UK government policies have sent mixed messages. The Electric Car Grant, introduced in July, was meant to encourage EV sales, but plans for a pay-per-mile eVED tax from 2028 have left some drivers regretting buying their EVs.

For instance, a driver who spoke to the Daily Mail and This Is Money, James Sponder, said: “I probably wouldn’t have gone for the car if I’d known the rules were going to change so dramatically. I don’t think it’s a good idea.

“If the goal is to encourage everyone to switch to EVs, you can’t then start taxing people – it just puts everyone off.”

The UK’s own ban on new petrol and diesel cars is currently set for 2030, though some hybrids that can travel a meaningful distance on electric power may still be sold until 2035. If the EU moves to a 2040 deadline – allowing only full EVs after that – the UK could face pressure to reconsider its rules.

What happens next?

If the EU officially delays the ban, the UK will need to decide whether to maintain its 2030 deadline or adjust to align with Europe, easing pressure on manufacturers and drivers.

For now, both UK drivers and car makers are watching closely to see if the EU’s move signals a significant slowdown in the shift to electric cars, or merely a brief pause in the transition.

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