The Times said the sale of new hybrid vehicles that have an electric motor combined with a petrol or diesel engine would also end under the plan. The government has been under pressure to take measures to reduce air pollution after losing legal cases brought by campaign groups. Under the proposals due to be announced on Wednesday, local authorities would be able to charge levies on the drivers of the diesel vehicles on the most polluted roads from 2020, if air quality does not improve, the Daily Mail newspaper said.Fear that new car petrol/diesel ban in 23 years time is smokescreen for weak measures to tackle 40,000 deaths a year from air pollution now.
— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) July 25, 2017
Welcome start but need urgent plan to cut air pollution *now* - proper clean air zones, funded diesel scrappage, invest in public transport https://t.co/Cr4iIBvOWJ— Caroline Lucas (@CarolineLucas) July 25, 2017Separately on Tuesday, German carmaker BMW said it had chosen its plant in Oxford, England as the location to produce an electric Mini from 2019. Earlier this month, Volvo became the first major traditional automaker to set a date for phasing out vehicles powered solely by the internal combustion engine by saying all its car models launched after 2019 will be electric or hybrids.