Rishi Sunak has been dealt another blow as forecourt experts blast the Prime Minister’s petrol and diesel car ban.
The Conservatives are looking to push ahead with policies to block the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by the end of the decade.
However, new research has revealed car dealerships and forecourts are miles away from making the transition with just seven years to go until the cut-off.
A new ‘Forecourt Foresight’ report conducted by Close Brothers Motor Finance found that a whopping 85 percent of dealers surveyed feel the new rule will not go ahead as planned.
A staggering two-thirds of dealers believe the ban will be delayed with 18 percent predicting the policy will be ditched altogether.
The study shows more than half of dealerships (54 percent) do not stock any alternative fuelled vehicles. Meanwhile, just one percent of dealerships admit they will invest in electric car charging points at some point within the next six months.
Lisa Watson, Director of Sales at Close Brothers Motor Finance claimed change “will not happen” quickly enough to meet the 2030 target.
She explained: “We know that consumers have mixed emotions about the switch to electric; with only one in ten saying they are planning a pure electric car as their next purchase in recent research.
“Dealers are joining them in their belief that change will not happen fast enough to meet the current plan to ban the sale of all new solely petrol and diesel vehicles in the UK in 2030.
“There are still major perception barriers to overcome. Given the current economic climate and financial pressures faced by many UK households, the initial outlay costs are prohibiting more widespread EV adoption in the UK.
“Costs combined with the lack of infrastructure is impacting consumer demand, which in turn impacts the stock that dealers are selling on their forecourts.
“If the Government wants to meet its 2030 target, then it will need to look how best to encourage, support and incentivise both motorists and dealers.”
