London (CNN Business)Britain will ban sales of new gasoline and...

London (CNN Business)Britain will ban sales of new gasoline and diesel cars from 2035 — five years earlier than planned — heaping pressure on an auto industry that is already struggling to cope with a global sales slump and the fallout from Brexit.

And for the first time, hybrid vehicles will also be covered by the ban.

The UK government detailed the more aggressive approach in a statement Tuesday, saying it was necessary to fight the climate crisis and help the United Kingdom cut carbon emissions to "net zero" by 2050.

"We have a responsibility to our planet to lead," Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a speech in London that launched the next UN climate conference, COP26, which is to be held later this year in Scotland.

Brexit just happened. Britain and the EU are already arguing about what comes next

The accelerated timetable drew immediate pushback from automakers, which raised concerns about the lack of clarity on whether the government would continue to subsidize sales of electric vehicles, the lack of charging infrastructure and potential job losses.

"It's extremely concerning that government has seemingly moved the goalposts for consumers and industry on such a critical issue," Mike Hawes, the chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said in a statement. "With current demand for this still expensive technology still just a fraction of sales, it's clear that accelerating an already very challenging ambition will take more than industry investment."

The new commitment puts the United Kingdom in a group of countries leading the phase out of cars powered by fossil fuels. Norway wants all new passenger cars and vans sold in the country to be zero-emission vehicles by 2025, and India has called for new cars sold there to be powered by electricity by 2030.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/04/business/petrol-and-diesel-ban-uk/index.html