Thank you for contacting me with your concerns on the petrol and diesel ban, and electric vehicles.
It is important that we as a country take action to tackle climate change to help mitigate its effects, which include flooding, costal erosion and other issues caused by extreme weather. To play our part in tackling this global issue, the UK aims to eliminate our contribution to climate change and achieve net zero by 2050.
Bringing forward the end the sale of petrol and diesel cars and vans to 2030 and increasing the use of electric vehicles will play a crucial role in helping the UK to hit this ambitious, legally binding target.
While decarbonising private vehicles is a key part of the Government's net-zero strategy, the Government is also working to make public transport more easily accessible, as well as encouraging people to walk and cycle more.
I therefore welcome that the Government is delivering £5 billion of investment in buses, cycling and walking over five years. As part of this, the 2021 Autumn Budget included £710 million of new investment in active travel funding over the next three years, with a further £355 million announced for zero emission buses.
On top of this, from April 2025, electric cars, vans and motorcycles will begin to pay VED in the same way as petrol and diesel vehicles. This will ensure that all road users begin to pay a fair tax contribution as the take up of electric vehicles continues to accelerate.