Going EV - what's the future for classic cars? Prime Minster Boris Johnson's announcement today confirms new cars and vans powered wholly by petrol and diesel will not be sold in the UK from 2030, but some hybrids would still be allowed. The ban does not affect used petrol and diesel cars - only new cars. Will the UK be ready for a 2030 ban on sales of petrol and diesel cars? BBC News clip Electrification of Historic Vehicles - FIVA position See FBHVC news item What will happen to classic cars after the petrol and diesel ban? It will still be possible to buy and sell classic cars after the ban on new vehicles comes in. However, classic car enthusiasts should keep in mind that the long-term aim is to reach a future where there are no petrol or diesel cars on the roads. It’s been suggested that within 10-15 years of banning the sale of new petrol and diesel cars, there could only be electric cars in circulation. That said, as any classic car owner knows, there are plenty of cherished vehicles still in use that are much more than 15 years old. Classic cars are not being banned, but it’s likely that the next few decades we will see a shift that may eventually present a challenge for classic car drivers. For example, increased availability of electric car charging points and decreased space at fuel stations for traditional petrol and diesel pumps. The reduced availability of petrol at pumps could be a real problem for future classic car enthusiasts. See Adrian Flux blog Comparative fuel costs chart Posted: 201118 New cars and vans powered wholly by petrol and diesel will not be sold in the UK from 2030, but some hybrids would still be allowed. This was in the announcement today by Boris Johnson who added it was part of a "green industrial revolution" to tackle climate change. Another key point of the plan is a £1.3bn investment in electric vehicle (EV) charging points. Grants for EV buyers will stretch to £582m to help people make the transition. There is also nearly £500m for battery manufacture in the Midlands and the north-east of England. BBC News item Classic cars are not being banned, but it’s likely that the next few decades will see a shift that may eventually present a challenge for classic car drivers. For example, increased availability of electric car charging points and decreased space at fuel stations for traditional petrol and diesel pumps. Values may fall too. Hydrogen fuel cell cars are an alternative to battery powered electric cars (EVs). There's a pleasing engineering simplicity about a fuel cell: you start with water, which you electrolyse using surplus off-peak grid electricity into hydrogen and oxygen, which you feed into a fuel cell, which emits water and electricity. But, we're a long way from there at the moment as most supplies of hydrogen are steamed out of natural gas, which is a fossil fuel. So at present there's only a small environmental benefit in a fuel cell. For drivers the benefit would be the retention of the "stop-fill-go" convenience rather than "plan ahead-stop/recharge-then go on" with EVs. See an Autotrader article of hydrogen fuel cell cars. Will EV classic car conversions become accepted? We have seen recently a number of MGB EV cars are being produced and offered for sale at eye-watering prices. Swindon Powertrain announced an EV kit for a Mini so conversion kits might become more generally available for MGBs and other classics at more affordable prices. With the ownership of a major part of the stock of classic cars changing over the next 25 years, as current owners (typically in the 55 to 70 age range) sell up, will the new owners probably in their 30s and 40s today view EV classics in a different way? Almost certainly society will become conditioned to the change from fossil fuelled cars for their daily driver car but if fossil fuelled classics continue to have access to public roads their attraction will remain. But will there be petrol for sale at filling stations? A reduced availability of petrol at pumps could be a real problem for future classic car enthusiasts.