Sales of new petrol and diesel-powered cars and vans will be banned in Britain by 2040, environment minister Michael Gove is expected to announce today, as part of long-term measures to cut pollution and improve dangerously high levels of harmful pollutants in emissions hot-spots.

The UK air quality plan will make electrification mandatory for all new models – and may even go as far as to outlaw the internal combustion engine entirely, meaning even plug-in hybrid cars will not eligible for sale. Further details of the plan will be confirmed by Gove in an announcement this morning. Motor1 will bring you more details when we get them.

A government spokesman said the plans would help tackle poor air quality in Britain, particularly in major cities such as London, which has broken EU limits on pollution levels – particularly amounts of nitrogen oxides, or NOx, in the atmosphere – for years. The EU set a deadline for the government to outline how it will tackle the issue: today’s announcement aims to do that with just days to spare.

The new diesel and petrol sales ban by 2040 will be a key part of a comprehensive, multi-billion-pound air quality plan, which will also force local councils to take steps to improve air quality. It will encourage them to remove restrictions such as speed humps and roundabouts, so cars don’t have to slow down and speed up again.

Existing petrol and diesel cars already in use will, however, not be banned. The government will gradually encourage green car uptake in coming years instead: it is speculated, for example, a scrappage scheme for the oldest and most polluting cars may follow in the autumn Budget.

Today’s announcement by the British government will follow a similar one made by France a few weeks ago. Volvo also recently made the bold statement it will only sell electrified new cars from 2019.

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