The same applies to drivers of classic cars – you’ll still be able to drive these long after 2035, but whether due to increasing taxation or, eventually, a shortage of petrol and diesel fuel stations, running such cars indefinitely could become problematic.
Is it worth buying a new petrol or diesel car in 2023?
Electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars now suit more drivers than ever before, meaning that if you’re in the market for a new car, we’d strongly suggest you see if one of those types of car would suit your needs. You can even use our free What Fuel? Tool to do this, by answering a few simple questions relating to the sorts of journeys you mostly do.
If you decide that you want to stick with a car powered solely by petrol or diesel, we’d recommend the former. Sales of diesel cars have been plummeting for years, and now represent just 4% of the total car market.
Diesel cars can still make sense for some drivers covering extremely high mileages, but it’s a slim portion. For most drivers who still want purely combustion power, petrol-powered cars will be the better option.
Will there be enough electric car charging points?
Concerns over the availability and reliability of public car chargers are often cited by drivers looking to go electric.
The Government recently announced that all public charging points should be 99% reliable and provide real-time updates about availability. Those standards are due to come into force late in 2023, with charging providers facing fines of up to £10,000 per device deemed to be in breach.
At What Car? We also conduct our own tests on the UK’s public charging network. We rated each of the UK’s main charging providers on five key areas: accessibility and location, charging speed, ease of payment, reliability and value for money, and added our scores together with the experiences of more than 2800 electric car owners.
