It was the announcement that dominated the headlines at the end of last month. The government declared that they would be banning the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2040. There will have to be some pretty major infrastructure changes in the next 23 years, as manufacturers switch to supplying us with electric cars before the ban. What are the implications for the motor and energy industries and how will employment be affected? Let’s take a closer look at the proposals.

The Clean Air Movement

Those of us that remember the great belching clouds of particulates that exhaust pipes used to produce whenever a key was turned in an ignition can testify that diesel engines have improved – but not enough. The fug surrounding the roads of our towns and cities is polluting the lungs of our children as they walk to school. Enough is enough. Ban the cars! Upgrade the public transport system! Build safe cycle routes! The clean air movement has powerful arguments and their solutions have been ignored for decades by governments in thrall to the car lobby.

The Electric Car

The electric car changes all that. The government can play the ‘green’ card without upsetting the motor industry. Now we can have cleaner air and still have the traffic jams that we all love so much. The driving force behind the government’s announcement is that electric cars are a cleaner, greener alternative to petrol and diesel burning cars. This is true, the cars themselves have zero emissions, but the electricity they use to recharge has to be generated somewhere. 

The Changing Market

The announcement to ban new petrol and diesel cars from 2040 is hardly world-changing. Most economists predict that the market is headed that way anyway. Volvo has announced that it will stop manufacturing cars that run solely on petrol and diesel in 2019 and other major manufacturers will follow suit as demand increases.

The Change in Infrastructure

It looks like the switch is coming in the next couple of decades regardless of government intervention. The battery technology is finally up to scratch. What the government should be focussing on is the infrastructure upgrades that will be necessary as 30+ million cars seek to plug into the national grid. There needs to be serious investment in energy production. If electric cars are to live up to their promised green credentials, we can’t rely on Russian gas either. Money needs to be spent on farming renewable energy sources and, at the risk of upsetting the green movement again, nuclear energy. 

Employment Opportunities

Upgrades to infrastructure and new power generation projects are great for employment. We’re looking forward to the switchover and the boost to the economy that it will bring if handled properly. We’re sure that whoever is in power will be claiming credit but, if the end result is more jobs and cleaner air, then we’ve all got something to be pleased about.  

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