Ban on sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2040 UK.

All sales of new petrol and diesel cars will cease in the UK by 2040, under plans to tackle air pollution.

But with electric cars currently accounting for less than 1% of new sales, the switch will mean seismic changes, and gives rise to a host of pressing questions.

Why are petrol and diesel cars being banned?

Poor air quality is the "biggest environmental

risk to public health in the UK" - thought to be linked to about 40,000 premature deaths a year - the government says. While air pollution has been mostly falling, in many cities nitrogen oxides- which form part of the discharge from car exhausts - regularly breach safe levels .

Diesel vehicles produce the overwhelming majority of nitrogen oxide gases coming from roadside sources.

The government was ordered by the courts to produce a new plan to tackle illegal levels of harmful pollutant nitrogen dioxide, a form of the nitrogen oxide pollutants emitted by vehicles.

Hybrid vehicles, which combine petrol and electric motors, will not be included in the sales ban.