Certain petrol and diesel cars will be banned from UK roads at the end of the decade, with ex-Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson previously weighing in on the issue. Labour has previously confirmed that sales of almost all brand-new petrol and diesel combustion vehicles will come to an end from 2030.
Despite the ban, hybrid cars can still be sold until 2035 while small production run manufacturers will be allowed to sell some combustion models. Although the news was welcomed by swathes of the motoring industry, there has been room for scepticism with former Top Gear host Clarkson among those not impressed. Speaking to fans of the show at his Diddly Squat farm last year after the premiere of his Grand Tour: One for the Road TV special, Clarkson stressed he still plans to drive his combustion models even after 2030.
The TV star even suggested that petrol will still be available even after the cut-off as he appeared to liken EVs to a “microwave oven”.
Jeremy said: “The bureaucrats are banning petrol and diesel cars. What’s the future for the petrolhead? Well, hydrogen wouldn’t be a petrolhead’s choice on account of it being hydrogen.
“The way I look at it is this. When the internal combustion came along, the horse got booted into touch. But there are still some people who still ride around on them and they have fun.
“I think keep a car like that, there will always be petrol to buy. You’ll always be able to enjoy it and just because everyone else is driving around in a microwave oven or a chest freezer, doesn’t mean you have to. You can continue to do that which is what I shall do. That’s my view.”
Although his former Top Gear co-host James May has dabbled into electric car ownership, Clarkson is yet to buy one.
May is believed to have owned a Tesla Model 3 Highland and also formerly held ownership of a Tesla Model S and BMW i3s.
Clarkson has never appeared to be a fan of electric cars, recently stressing that the apparent drop off in sales was because the cars were “expensive and boring”.
He said: “But it’s mostly because people are waking up to the fact electric cars are expensive, boring to drive, useless for long journeys and, if we are honest, not especially good for the environment.”