The United Kingdom’s Conservative Party has declared war on the 2030 deadline for phasing out petrol and diesel engines, a move that threatens to upend the global transition to electric mobility. In a bold policy shift, the opposition party announced proposals to not only reverse the ban on internal combustion engines but also dismantle the legal requirements forcing manufacturers to sell electric vehicles (EVs).

Under the leadership of Kemi Badenoch, the Conservatives are proposing to abolish the Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate entirely. For Kenya, a nation that looks to the UK for a significant portion of its right-hand drive vehicle imports, this policy shift signals a potential extension of the internal combustion era, complicating the local push toward green mobility.

Rolling Back the Green Mandate

The proposal outlines a complete departure from the current trajectory set by the Labour government. A future Conservative administration would scrap the requirement for manufacturers to ensure that 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans are zero-emission by 2030. The current law demands a transition to 100% zero-emission sales by 2035.

Beyond the targets, the party plans to eliminate non-research subsidies linked to the mandate. They estimate this deregulation would save the British economy approximately £3.8 billion (approx. KES 665 billion) over the next decade. However, the party noted that infrastructure funding to support the EV market would be retained.

Badenoch, writing in The Telegraph, framed the decision as a matter of economic survival rather than environmental negligence. She cited Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s “commonsense approach” as inspiration, arguing that climate goals must not come at the expense of economic stability.

• The Proposal: End the 2030 ban on new petrol/diesel cars.
• The Savings: Estimated £3.8bn (KES 665bn) in regulatory relief.
• The Inspiration: Italy’s pragmatic stance on net-zero targets.

The Ripple Effect on Nairobi

While this is a political tussle in Westminster, the outcome has direct implications for the Kenyan motorist. Kenya is a right-hand drive market that relies heavily on used imports—'mitumba' vehicles—from the UK and Japan. A delay in the UK's transition to electric vehicles ensures a continued supply of petrol and diesel cars into the secondary market, potentially keeping purchase costs lower for Kenyan importers in the short term.

However, critics argue this creates uncertainty. The current Labour government reinstated the 2030 ban specifically to provide "certainty to manufacturers." Badenoch disagrees, stating, “Labour’s rush to net zero is having a disastrous effect on the UK car industry.”

She emphasized that her party would protect the environment without "forcing families to bear the brunt of the costs." As the UK grapples with its automotive future, the decision will inevitably dictate the type of vehicles navigating Nairobi’s traffic jams a decade from now.