Reports by the Guardian and Financial Times have suggested that by 2040 the Government are setting up to ban the sale of Petrol and Diesel cars, as part of an air quality plan – this includes hybrids, electric only vehicles from 2040 would then only be possible. This is apparently a reaction to a recent government report which stated that smog kills at least 40,000 people each year in the UK.

However this would hinge on the ability to actually manufacture these electric cars and make them affordable to every car user in the country, the worldwide electric vehicle us currently facing potential shortages of battery materials such as lithium and cobalt.

Other countries are undergoing a similar plan with France having the same timescale and India hoping to introduce this ban by 2030.