The Electric Slide - Sunak Puts a Pin in Our EV Parade

Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit! It seems our good ol' Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is having a whale of a time, trying his darnedest to push back the inevitable electric vehicle revolution. For someone who’s known every growl of gasoline, purr of diesel, and now the almost eerie silence of EVs, you'd think I’d be rattled by this announcement. But no, Mr. Sunak, you can’t rain on my electric parade.

So, Britain’s ban on the sale of new gasoline and diesel cars and vans? Yeah, it's been pushed back from 2030 to 2035. Yawn. “Ease the transition to electric vehicles," he says. But what I hear is, “I might just delay the tea kettle from boiling." I mean, let's be honest, we wouldn't trust politicians with making a cup of tea or boiling an egg, let alone deciding the future of transportation.

Now, Sunak thinks that by 2030, thanks to falling costs, most of us will be driving electric anyway. No need for government to poke its nose in our garage choices. And while I'm optimistic (with a slight hint of sarcasm), I do wonder if this is just a classic case of "I’ll tell them what they want to hear, but do what I want."

You see, the European Union says, "Hey, let’s have zero-emission new cars by 2035." And while that might sound similar to Sunak's timeline, Maria Bengtsson from EY U.K. chimes in to say we aren't quite singing from the same hymn sheet as our EU buddies. Seems Britain lacks the right environment for EVs to truly take over.

I don't know about you, but I sense a disturbance in the automotive force. Kia and Ford are shaking their heads, while Volkswagen's scratching theirs. Toyota, on the other hand, is sitting in the corner, humming to itself, pleased as punch.

Now, you might ask why Mr. Sunak would toss this electric curveball? Some say it's to win favor as elections loom. Wink. Or maybe it's about ensuring public backing? But whatever the reason, Britain's automotive sector is like a teenager that just got its allowance cut. It's struggling, big time.

Let’s face it, this move does seem to ease the shift to EVs. Less manufacturing stress. Less infrastructural woes. But kicking the can 5 years down the road? That's 5 more years of high fuel prices, 5 more years of oil companies laughing to the bank, and 5 more years of dragging our feet on vital infrastructure upgrades.

Sunak’s gonna be sipping on his (probably misbrewed) tea in 2035, watching from the sidelines, throwing shade at whoever’s in charge. But we’ll remember, mate. 

Here's the kicker: EVs were once the popular kid on the block, way back in the early 20th century. But then gas-guzzlers took over, and we forgot about the quiet charm of electric. Norway, bless them, is leading the way, with over half their new car sales being electric. If they can, why can't we?

So, while Sunak's trying to slow the electric tango, I say, "Carry on, mate." We, the public, have tasted the electric apple, and it's sweet, really sweet.

Yours truly,

Captain Electro