Renault Chief Procurement, Partnerships and Public Affairs Officer François Provost has urged the United Kingdom to scrap its planned ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars to secure a trade agreement with the European Union. In an interview with The Sunday Times, Provost called the 2030 deadline for ending internal combustion engine sales "stupid" and suggested the UK align its regulations with the EU to join the "Made in Europe" industrial program.
The UK government currently pledges to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, while allowing the sale of hybrid vehicles until 2035. This policy aims to transition the automotive market toward electric vehicles. However, European officials and industry leaders are debating the terms under which the UK automotive industry might join the EU's Industrial Accelerator Act, a scheme intended to support clean technology firms.
Provost stated that the UK automotive industry is at a "tipping point" and argued that business interests dictate the UK remain part of the EU industrial ecosystem. He suggested that European car manufacturers need to "freeze regulations" to lower costs for consumers while remaining "realistic" about the pace of electrification. Inclusion in the EU scheme may also depend on the UK adopting tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles, a move the EU has already implemented but the UK has so far resisted.
The scale of the impact involves the UK new car market, which is moving toward an electric mandate. According to Downing Street, joining the EU program would be "good news" for the industry's investment and jobs, though the exact number of positions or the dollar value of the trade benefits was not reported. Consumers would notice the impact through the sticker prices of new cars and the specific dates when certain engine types, such as petrol or diesel, are no longer legally available for purchase.
A shift in these deadlines or the adoption of new tariffs would set a precedent for how the UK balances its trade policy with its historical ties to the European automotive supply chain. While France and Germany have reportedly proposed including the UK in the Industrial Accelerator Act, the UK government noted that there is "still a European process to run." No specific dates for a final decision or a vote on these trade terms were reported.