Jaguar Land Rover has called for financial incentives and charging infrastructure — needed to ensure the take-up of electric vehicles — at the rate needed to meet the UK government’s target of banning all new petrol and diesel cars by 2040.

“Only 1 per cent of cars driven in the UK today are electric,” it noted, adding that it recognises that zero emissions are the “future.”

“We welcome the clarity provided on the transition to the future where electric cars are the norm…JLR is already working towards the 2040 timetable in moving to autonomous, connected, electric vehicles. Last year Jaguar Land Rover unveiled its first electric car, the I-Pace, set to go on sale next year. From 2020 every new JLR vehicle line will have an electric option.

“New, clean diesel and petrol engines will retain a key role in controlling carbon emissions and restricting air pollution. We’re pleased to see the plan recognise the fundamental difference between older vehicles which contribute to air pollution and newly developed engines (known as “Eu6”) which are part of the air quality solution,” it said.

A similar call came from Britain’s auto industry body, which said that enough time is needed to allow the sector to adjust. “Much depends on the cost of these new technologies and how willing consumers are to adopt battery, plug-in hybrid and hydrogen cars,” said Mike Hawes, CEO of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Ltd. “Currently, demand for alternatively fuelled vehicles is growing but still at a very low level as consumers have concern over affordability, range and charging points.

Outright bans risk undermining the current market for new cars and our sector, which supports over 800,000 jobs across the UK.

So the industry instead wants a positive approach, which gives consumers incentives to purchase these cars.”

With governments across the world warning of penalties or bans on the use of diesel or petrol cars, the global auto industry has already begun to react, with Sweden’s Volvo announcing earlier this month that all its new cars from 2019 onwards would either be entirely electric or hybrid, which marked the “end of the solely combustion engine-powered car.” Earlier this week BMW said a fully electric version of the Mini would be built at its Oxford factory from 2019.

While the industry may be concerned about a lack of time and support, environmental campaigners are urging for more urgent action.

“We cannot wait nearly a quarter of a century for real action to tackle the public health emergency caused by air pollution,” warned Areeba Hamid of Greenpeace UK. “Germany, India, the Netherlands and Norway are all considering bans by 2030 or sooner.”

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