Forecourt retailers have reacted positively to the news that the ban on the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles is being pushed back to 2035.
“It was great to see some good news in the headlines,” said Joe Hockenhull, managing director of Top 50 Indie Hockenhull Garages. “It’s absolutely good news and reaffirms how we have been feeling about it all ie that it was not very achievable. To be honest, I am hoping it will be pushed back again.”
Joe said they have three chargers on their sites, which are leased: “We just receive rent from them. Numbers are steady but it is mostly DPD drivers using them, not the general public.”
Kris Navaratnam of Top 50 Indie, Krisco Services Group, said it was brilliant news. “I didn’t think 2030 was achievable the way the government wanted to do it so I am very pleased.
“We don’t have any EV charging yet at our sites. We have looked into it but have been advised that the space, at the moment, is better used for car parking. However, any new sites or developments will have EV charging as this tends to be part of the planning requirements nowadays.”
Nizam Patel, director of Top 50 Indie Nowell Forecourts, agreed that the Prime Minister’s announcement was good news: “I don’t think we are in a position to stop production of petrol and diesel cars yet as it seems the majority of drivers are not ready for EVs. It was always a difficult target and I think the government has made the right decision.
“We have EV chargers on our sites but compared to petrol and diesel they account for a fraction of our business. As demand gets higher we will put in more chargers but I think we will be accommodating both EV and petrol and diesel vehicles for some time.
Roger Perry of Leven Services said it was welcome news but struck a note of caution: “I wonder how much real difference this will make as the government’s quota initiative for vehicle manufacture, which kicks in next year, appears to be unchanged. At the moment this requires just over 20% of the cars they make next year to be electric and is predicted to rise to 80% by the end of the decade.”
