Some new hybrid vehicles to stay on sale till 2035, Government confirms

Some hybrid vehicles will be given a five-year stay of execution beyond the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars, the Government has said, as it denied abandoning its manifesto pledge to accelerate the shift to electric vehicles.

As confirmed by This is Money last month, Labour will bring forward the deadline outlawing the sales of combustion-engine cars to the end of this decade. 

However, it has now been confirmed there will be exemptions for some hybrid cars – which use a combination of a combustion engine, battery and electric motors – until 2035.

The decision is likely to upset green campaign groups, who describe hybrids as the car industry’s ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’ and called for them not to be excused from the ban.

With three different types of hybrid car on sale currently, the big question now is which of these will continue to be available beyond 2030?

The Government has said it will go ahead with its manifesto plan to reinstate the 2030 ban on new cars that run solely on petrol and diesel after Rishi Sunak had opted to delay the deadline to 2035 last September amidst concerns that EV uptake had been slower than expected and motorists were unable to afford their premium prices.

In its manifesto, it had pledged to give ‘certainty to manufacturers by restoring the phase-out date of 2030 for new cars with internal combustion engines’. 

However, it now says that some hybrids will be exempt from the ban for a five-year period, with the final decision on which types of hybrid being announced ‘shortly’, according to a Department for Transport spokesperson.

They told us: ‘We have always been committed to restoring the original 2030 phase out date for the sale of new cars with pure internal combustion engines. 

‘The original phase out date included the provision for some hybrid vehicle sales between 2030-35. We know it is important to provide certainty and stability for drivers and will set out further details in due course.’ 

Labour’s decision takes drivers full circle back to 2020, when Boris Johnson’s government outlined a deadline of 2030 for petrol and diesel cars, but 2035 for some hybrids.

Yet it was never made absolutely clear which hybrid vehicles would be exempt, though ministers had claimed it would only be those that could drive a ‘significant’ distance in electric-only mode without clarifying the minimum distance requirement.

The government’s decision comes in the wake of a number of major car brands announcing reduced EV production and delays to plans to shift to zero-emission models.

Last week, Fiat said it has paused manufacturing of its 500e electric city car for four weeks due to a lack of demand.

And Volvo within the last month has confirmed it has abandoned its intentions of becoming an electric-only car maker in 2030 due to a lower-than-expected appetite for EVs. 

Other car makers have been lobbying to extend petrol sales as growth in demand for electric cars has slowed after a surge in recent years, which has forced them to slash prices and take a big hit on profits.

August saw the biggest share of EVs hitting the market in a single month for almost two years.

Of all the cars registered, 22.6 per cent were electric – the highest proportion on record since December 2022.

However, industry insiders said this was a result of market manipulation by manufacturers, who were accused of rationing the availability of petrol and hybrid cars to boost EV numbers to meet binding targets set out by the zero emissions vehicle (ZEV) mandate.

For 2024, the requirement of all mainstream manufacturers is for at least 22 per cent of total car sales to be electric models.

This threshold increases each year, rising to 28 per cent in 2025 and up to 80 per cent in 2030. Failure to meet these targets can result in fines of £15,000 for every car below the quota.

Government officials have reportedly claimed that that the 20 per cent allowance from 2030 to 2035 will be available to vehicles with ‘some sort of hybridisation’. 

The decision to open the door to allow some hybrids to remain on sale will likely anger green groups.

Greenpeace has previously described hybrid technology as a ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’, while Transport & Environment conducted a study with Graz University in 2023 and concluded that plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEV) ‘pollute much more than advertised’ and should be banned in 2030.

Which type of hybrids could be available after 2030?

Thom Groot, CEO of The Electric Car Scheme said the Government needs to ensure that a ‘realistic target’ for the transition to EVs is put in place and not just an ’empty promise’. 

He explained: ‘We need clarity on the provision for hybrid sales to 2035, because as we know, not all hybrids are created equal. 

‘This needs to come from policy to back this up – and involves both a carrot and stick approach – not just stick.’

The DfT said it will shortly confirm which hybrids will be available until the middle of the next decade following consultation with industry.

There are three main types, how they differ and the likelihood they will be granted the five-year stay of execution: 

PLUG-IN HYBRID (PHEV)

Likelihood of staying on sale until 2035: High 

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles use an internal combustion engine – usually petrol but there have been some examples of diesel PHEVs – and an onboard battery and electric motor(s). 

But, unlike any other hybrid vehicle, they have a charging socket.

The battery can be charged by plugging into the mains, a domestic wallbox or public charging device. 

Like a conventional ‘self-charging’ hybrid (HEV), they also have energy regenerating brakes and systems that help to trickle a little extra capacity to the battery on the move.

The battery pack is not as large as those in fully electric cars but is bigger than units in HEVs. 

This means that plug-in hybrids can be driven on electric power alone, with proponents arguing this makes them perfect for short-trip urban driving. When fully charged, a plug-in hybrid can provide anywhere between 25 and 60 miles of range using just electric power. 

For longer journeys – or any trip where you’ve used up to electric driving capacity – the vehicle will become reliant on the petrol engine to take you to your destination. 

Almost all manufacturers have introduced plug-in hybrid options, whether that’s a Ford Kuga, Audi A3, or a Bentley Bentayga. 

CONVENTIONAL ‘SELF-CHARGING’ HYBRID

Likelihood of staying on sale until 2035: Average

A hybrid electric vehicle has an onboard battery and electric motor to supplement a petrol or diesel engine. 

However, it can’t be plugged in to be charged, so all of the electric power is generated by the movement of the vehicle.

Batteries are far smaller than those in fully electric cars and for this reason can only typically provide a handful of miles of range when exclusively running on electric power. 

They’re often referred to as conventional hybrids as they were introduced to the market ahead of plug-in hybrids (which we will come to shortly), with the Toyota Prius being the most renowned model.

Because of their limited electric-only ranges and need to be charged by the car itself, these hybrids are less likely than PHEVs to be given favour by ministers to stay in showrooms beyond 2030. 

MILD HYBRID 

Likelihood of staying on sale until 2035: Very unlikely

One of the most confusing recent terms introduced to the sector is the mild hybrid electric vehicle (MHEV). 

These are a middle-ground between a petrol/diesel car and a HEV and are becoming increasingly common in showrooms.

While they do have some electric capacity, to use the term ‘hybrid’ does muddy the waters. 

These type of hybrid car has a very small battery and motor-generator – usually no bigger than 48 volts – to supplement the combustion engine under the bonnet. 

However, the big difference to a HEV or PHEV is that the battery and motor does not provide all-electric propulsion at any time whatsoever.

Instead, the motor-generator uses stored electricity to supply additional torque to the engine, boosting its output without burning additional fuel to make the combustion engine more efficient.

Some mild hybrids also use the generator to enable the car’s engine to be turned off for up to 40 seconds when coasting, automatically restarting when acceleration is called for. This is said to offer greater fuel-economy from a petrol or diesel engine.

Examples, of cars that come as mild hybrids include the Ford Fiesta, the Jaguar F-Pace and Volvo XC60.