Battery electric cars will overtake diesels in Great Britain by 2030, analysis suggests

"The number of diesel cars on Great Britain's roads in June had fallen to 9.9m in June last year, 21% below its peak of 12.4m vehicles, according to analysis by New AutoMotive, a thinktank focused on the transition to electric cars. Electric car sales are still growing rapidly, albeit more slowly than manufacturers had expected. However, the transition to cleaner vans is lagging behind cars, and the number of diesel vans has continued to rise, to a record 4.4m."

"Diesel engines tend to be more efficient than petrol engines, burning less fuel and producing less carbon dioxide. However, they also produce more nitrous oxides, which are harmful to health. In 2015 Volkswagen was found to have created software to cheat on emissions tests, kicking off the Dieselgate scandal, costing it alone 30bn (26bn) around the world in fines, compensation and legal costs."

"Battery electric cars made up only 4% of the cars on UK roads last year, compared with 32% diesels and 58% that use petrol, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), a lobby group. The other 6% were hybrids, which mostly combine a smaller battery with a petrol engine. Sales of cars with diesel engines duly plummeted, to fewer than 100,000 in the first 11 months of 2025."

Battery electric cars are projected to surpass diesel cars on Great Britain's roads by 2030, with London expected to be the first UK city to go diesel-free. Diesel car numbers fell to 9.9 million in June last year, 21% below the 12.4 million peak. Electric car sales continue to grow, although more slowly than manufacturers had anticipated. Diesel van numbers rose to a record 4.4 million while the transition to cleaner vans lags behind cars. The 2015 Volkswagen Dieselgate scandal led to plummeting diesel car sales and contributed to increased scrutiny of diesel emissions. Cars on the road remain 58% petrol, 32% diesel, 4% electric and 6% hybrid.

Read at www.theguardian.com