Classic car owners have been issued major warnings with just four years to go before the UK’s petrol and diesel car ban comes into effect. Second-hand cars such as classics will not be banned from using the road after the end of the decade, with only the sale of brand new petrol and diesel models restricted.
However, experts at EV specialists PodPoint explained that those running combustion models could still be affected as the UK moves away from petrol and diesel. They stressed that owning historic vehicles would likely become “more difficult” and “more expensive” when petrol and diesel fuel stations eventually get phased out.
PodPoint explained: “Classic cars using petrol or diesel will not be banned when legislative changes happen in 2030, but it’s likely that the rising uptake of EVs will present a challenge to classic car drivers in the future. You may see an increase in electric charging stations in public as demand grows, whilst simultaneously, the reduction in demand for petrol and diesel cars may reduce the availability of petrol and diesel stations.
“This would make it more difficult, or certainly more expensive, to drive classic cars reliably. But even then, it’s not a change that will happen immediately, so for now it shouldn’t be of immediate concern for classic car owners.”
By 2030, most major manufacturers will not be able to build combustion models, with exemptions only in place for hybrid vehicles and certain low-volume petrol and diesel car builders.
However, according to Adrian Flux, it is possible that in just 10 to 15 years of the ban coming into effect there may only be electric cars in circulation.
The motoring experts explained that some are wondering if the ban could warrant classic cars “worthless in the future”, with running and maintenance costs likely to increase,
Meanwhile, they stressed that vehicles which are already considered rare may become even more sought-after, pushing up their overall value.
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