This future might be sooner than you think though, with hybrid cars having been given the same sentence as their petrol and diesel counterparts. The sale of internal combustion engine (ICE) cars will be banned in 2030, but hybrids have a little longer – it’ll be 2035 before you see them disappear completely from dealership forecourts. Just because you will no longer be able to buy ICE and hybrid cars doesn’t mean you need to rush to scrap your car just yet!
That’s the situation in a nutshell – here’s what you need to know in a bit more detail.
Are hybrid cars being phased out of UK roads?
Yes, hybrid cars are being phased out as part of the UK’s transition away from fossil fuel-powered transport. That’s because, while hybrids produce fewer emissions than standard petrol or diesel models, they still rely on fossil fuels, which means they are not a truly sustainable long-term solution.
New hybrid car sales will be banned from 2035, five years after petrol and diesel models are removed from the market. This additional time has been given to allow for improvements in electric car infrastructure and affordability, as the government aims to ensure the UK is ready for a fully electric transition.
Why are hybrids being phased out?
Phasing out hybrid cars is part of the UK’s larger strategy to reduce emissions and transition fully to electric transport. The ultimate goal is to improve air quality and lower the country’s carbon footprint and, to do that, we need to move away from fossil fuel-powered driving completely. Hybrid cars may contribute fewer emissions, but they still contribute, and they still need to go.
But the shift isn’t just about cutting emissions – it’s also about driving investment in electric infrastructure. The government is promising a stronger push towards better charging networks, improved battery technology, and greater affordability for electric cars. The idea is to make electric models more practical for the average driver and remove the need for hybrid models as an interim solution.
Of course, it may or may not work out quite as smoothly as that.Plenty of people, including senior figures in the automotive industry, have said that the 2030 ban on ICE cars and the 2035 hybrid ban are both far too ambitious, and that the country’s charging infrastructure will not be ready for a fully electric switch.
Timeline of the ban
The UK’s decision to phase out petrol, diesel, and hybrid cars has been years in the making. The original plan to ban new petrol and diesel car sales was announced all the way back in 2017 – getting on for ten years ago – and there’s been a bit of policy flip-flopping in the intervening years, especially since the UK’s ruling political party changed in the summer of 2024. In case you’re - understandably - having trouble keeping track, here’s a quick breakdown of the timeline.
2017 – Initial ban announced
Theresa May’s government announces a ban on new petrol and diesel car sales, originally set for 2040.
2020 – Ban moved forward
Under Boris Johnson, the ban is brought forward to 2030, as part of a wider net-zero strategy.
2023 – Ban delayed
Rishi Sunak’s government pushes the ban back to 2035, citing cost-of-living concerns and affordability issues.
2024 – Ban reinstated
Keir Starmer’s Labour government reverses Sunak’s delay, restoring the original 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars. The 2035 cut-off date for new hybrid sales remains unchanged.
This means that, from 2030, only hybrid and electric cars will be available to buy new, with hybrids then being fully phased out from 2035 onwards.
What happens after 2035?
One of the most important things to note is that the ban on new hybrid sales in 2035 does not mean that existing hybrids will be taken off the roads. If you already own a hybrid by that point, you’ll still be able to drive it as usual, and the second-hand market for hybrids is expected to remain active for many years beyond the cut-off date.
This mirrors the situation with petrol and diesel cars after 2030. Although new sales will be banned, second-hand models will still be available, and no law will prevent people from continuing to use them. However, as hybrids and petrol or diesel cars reach the end of their operational lifespan, they’ll eventually be scrapped and replaced by electric models.
While there will be no “hard” rule against driving hybrids and internal combustion engine cars, it’s worth noting that there may be increasingly strict Clean Air Zones brought in around the UK. If these zones become stricter or more widespread – which is likely - certain cars could be banned from entering specific areas at certain times – or even permanently. All that could make ICE and hybrid cars increasingly less economical to drive, effectively amounting to a ‘soft’ ban on them across the UK.
And of course, if you decide that the time has come to scrap your car, then you can always count on us here at EMR Vehicle Recycling to give you the very best price. We have more than 70 years of experience to our name, and Authorised Treatment Facilities all over the UK, so wherever you’re based, we’re never far away and can provide gold-standard service.
It couldn’t be easier to get started. All you need to do is enter your car reg and postcode into the fields on our homepage, and you’ll have an instant online quote before you can say scrap my car. Do you know how much your car could be worth?
