Government proposes 2035 ban on sale of new combustion-engined motorcycles and mopeds

The sale of new fossil fuel-powered motorcycles and mopeds could be banned by 2035 under new Government plans.

A new public consultation on the matter is being launched in order to ‘accelerate the transition to zero emission travel’ by phasing out the sale of new internal combustion engined motorbikes and mopeds by 2035 or ‘even earlier’ for some vehicles.

The consultation will come to a close on September 21 of this year, with opinions needed on the 2035 ban on all new fossil fuel-powered motorcycles and an earlier 2030 ban for vehicles such as 50cc scooters and learner-friendly motorcycles.

Transport Minister Trudy Harrison said: “Across road, rail, sea and air we have taken decisive action to reduce harmful emissions while enabling innovation and growing the economy.”

As well as the consultation period, the Department for Transport (DfT) is also introducing £350,000 in funding for a competition to help develop the supply chain for zero-emissions motorcycles. It says that this will help ‘create a manufacturing base for small, emission free vehicles’ which could lead to ‘thousands’ of new jobs across the UK.

It is being launched a year on from the deployment of the Transport Decarbonisation Plan, which set out a new set of measures that would be introduced to help improve air quality while creating ‘tens of thousands’ of green-related jobs in the UK.

In its first year, the plan has seen 7,500 additional electric charging points installed alongside the funding of over 130 new walking and cycling schemes.

Harrison added: “We have provided certainty to both the industry and consumers through investment to stimulate a new market to reduce the need for fossil fuels”.