Richard Branson says ban on diesel and petrol-fuelled cars should be brought forward to 2025
Richard Branson, a new pioneer of electric cars, has said the ban on petrol and diesel vehicles should be brought forward from 2040 to 2025.
Speaking at a Formula E event, the tycoon said the UK should follow in the paths of environmentally friendly countries Norway and the Netherlands, who have a 2025 ban in place.
"I honestly think that we've got to bring everything forward because there are concerns that we could actually have sea levels rising by over 100ft if we lose a big chunk of the Antarctic.
"Therefore we've got to move the process of moving to clean energy quicker than most governments around the world are doing."
Last year the government announced a ban on the sale of all new petrol and diesel-fuelled vehicles from 2040 in a bid to tackle air pollution.
Environment secretary unveiled the plan, which would also ban the sale of new hybrid vehicles – powered by a combination of electric battery and fossil fuels – in a move that mirrored French President Emmanuel Macron’s automotive policy, which also aims to phase out fossil-fuel powered vehicles.
However, a number of studies have recently suggested that while Britons are slowly warming to the idea of electric vehicles, there were still some negative perceptions about moving away from the traditional petrol and diesel-fuelled cars.
Close Brothers Motor Finance report, Britain Under the Bonnet, found that 46 per cent of drivers said there would need to be significant improvements to the technology before they could be won round, with long charging times cited as a major issue.
A report by Confused.com found that more than half of drivers in London said they were put off by the cost of electric vehicles. Tesla’s Model S hatchback costs up to £127,000 while the Renault Zoe is £20,670.
The report similarly found that charging was a put-off – a full charge takes the same times as making 222 cups of tea.