If you want to know why Volvo announced its decision to develop fully electric cars and if you want to know why Mini decided to build an electric model in the UK then these decisions aren’t driven by corporate empathy or morality. These decisions are driven by corporate survival and prudence, not sustainability and it’s the government that plays a key role in deciding how the auto industry plans its future. Today the UK government announced a radical plan, to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2040. Part of the driving force behind this decision is the government’s legally binding Paris Climate accord. If the legally binding document is not honored then the EU could take the UK to the courts and levy harsh fines. Hence the reason for this announcement. The decision to do so is to reduce pollution and related deaths caused by diesel and petrol cars. This decision will all but surely bring to an end of the era of the internal combustion engine. But will it replace one form of pollution with another? Afterall Hybrid cars and pure electric vehicles require the use of rare earth metals which are mined by machines that ostensibly use diesel power. And what of the oil companies? Well, there will still be millions of diesel and petrol cars by the time the ban comes into force. Older cars will not be banned so there will still be another 15 years remaining for continued petrol and diesel consumption, post-2040. Don’t be surprised to hear of scrappage schemes coming into effect to encourage diesel and petrol users to make a switch to hybrids or electric vehicles. But will they listen? Afterall motorists were encouraged to buy more diesel cars by the UK government, they did, by the millions. Don’t be surprised to hear of government scrappage schemes coming into effect to encourage diesel and petrol users to make a switch to hybrids or electric vehicles. But will they listen? Afterall motorists were encouraged to buy more diesel cars by the UK government, they did, by the millions. Diesel has now become the enemy to eradicate, a public health hazard.  Current battery technology in no way offers the efficiency of conventional petrol or diesel engine cars. Indeed current battery technology is primitive and doesn’t offer the flexibility of petrol or diesel. Perhaps 23 years from now revolutionary new battery technology will be developed that allows future battery technology to surpass the efficiency of both petrol and diesel powered cars. Our advice is to enjoy it while it lasts because a new future has just been chosen. On another note, we’ll all be 23 years older by the time this ban comes into effect, that’s a frightening thought!