A plan to end the sale of all polluting road vehicles by 2040, including new diesel and petrol lorries, has been launched by the government as part of what it called a ‘greenprint’ to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The transport decarbonisation plan also included the electrification of the whole fleet of government vehicles by 2027 and a clear phase-date for new diesel and petrol cars and vans, according to a government press release.

This would, along with a plan to decarbonise domestic airline emissions by 2040, and all jet aircraft by 2050, mean that all domestic forms of transportation in the UK would produce no carbon emissions by the government’s net-zero goal of 2050.

The government claim that they have pledged £2bn into cycling and walking initiatives, as well as £2.8bn into supporting the transport logistics industry as well as other motorists to switch from petrol and diesel cars to cleaner electric vehicles.

They have also pledged to create a net-zero rail network by the year 2050, as well as transitioning to green shipping practices.

On the same day this was published, the results of their consultation on smart chargers for electric vehicles was also published, which set out the minimum requirements for private EV charging points, as well as continuing to phase in smart charging legislation.

Infrastructure and industry support are both key factors in ensuring that a transition to green freight is successful, as the infrastructure surrounding charging electric vehicles still lags behind petrol and diesel, and this will need to change quickly to ensure the 2027, 2035 and 2040 deadlines are met.