WHY UK delaying the ICE ban is good for South Africa
Here’s why the UK delaying the ICE ban to 2035 is a lifeline for South Africa’s vehicle manufacturing industry.
It’s good news for the South African motor industry, amidst reports of UK delaying the ICE ban to 2035. What the UK delaying the ICE ban means for South Africa is more time to revolutionise production process from ICE (internal combustion engines) to electrification.
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CAR Magazine UK reports that UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, has pushed back Britain’s switchover to electric from 2030 to 2035. The UK intially said it would ban the sale of all ICE cars by 2030. But clearly the deadline – just six and a quarter years away – proved unrealistic.
UK DELAYING THE ICE BAN
Having said that, the UK’s target of net-zero by 2050 is still in place, reiterated Sunak. “To give us more time to prepare, we’re going to ease the transition to electric vehicles. You’ll still be able to buy a combustion-engined vehicle until 2035,” Sunak said.
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This is good news for South Africa, which has a vibrant vehicle manufacturing and export industry. Our largest export markets according to NAAMSA are the US, UK, Europe, Australia, China and Japan. These pipelines for SA-built cars bring in billions of Rands to the South African GDP each year.
UNDER THREAT
However, this industry has been under threat due to Europe and the West’s move away from ICEs towards EVs. Try as it may, the South African automotive manufacturing landscape is still geared to ICE vehicles and it will take a lot of time and investment to cater for EVs.
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The UK delaying the ICE ban by five years gives South Africa more time to prepare for the shift and become more proficient in EV production. However, in the UK, the delay has angered many car companies who have quite rightly has spent billions investing and preparing for the 2030 switchover. It is now conceivable that other Western nations may follow suit in delaying their ICE bans.
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