It’s only right that, from time to time, we acknowledge the controversial leader who has such an annoying sway over things, even on this side of the pond. Yep, it’s time to look at the future of fossil fuels and what that means for us.

Almost eight years ago, I wrote a piece looking at the future of petrol and diesel cars. Back then, the target for banning the sale of new ICE cars was 2040, now it’s 2030 with hybrids being added to the ban in 2035. So the time frames have changed, but what does Trump have to do with this?

Sticking to their dates but reducing penalties

Tariffs. By adding a 25% tariff to any imported car, Trump has alienated a lot of companies and made the government show some additional kindness to our automotive industry… but only a little bit. Essentially, they are sticking to their dates, but reducing the penalties to car-makers should they miss the target. Fair enough, petrol still equals evil, and will disappear in five years, right?

Wrong. As I said all those years ago, banning (new) petrol car sales in 2030 doesn’t mean things will change that quickly. The average age a car is shipped off to the car afterlife, is currently 17 years… and rising. So we’re not going to see a massive reduction in existing petrol and diesel cars until well into the 2040s, and there should still be many around after 2050 even.

The other point I read today, which was very reassuring, is that the petrol/diesel ban won’t apply to smaller British firms such as Aston Martin and McLaren – phew – so there will be plenty of petrol-based horsepower around for some time yet.

Is the petrolhead’s time over?

Yes, the roads will change, and that’s only right; we need to clean up our act, and the changes in London in recent years have been noted in a previous column. But does this mean that petrol is (very nearly) dead? Is the petrolhead’s time over? Are petrolheads to be relegated to the realms of “I remember when this traffic jam was nothing but fumes and noise?”

No, of course not. Because petrol is not dead and probably won’t be for at least another 25 years or so.

There are many barriers to EV ownership, but they are being broken down, slowly but surely. Realistic ranges have increased, charging is faster and more commonplace, and most brands are now offering at least one EV model in their lineup.

Simple enough barriers to overcome

Some barriers may be harder to get around – battery longevity, charging for people in rural areas, or those with no designated parking by their home – but, given how far EVs have come, these are surely relatively simple enough to overcome?

So, long story short, petrol will be around for a while yet. And to paraphrase Mark Twain, ‘reports of its death are greatly exaggerated.’

For now, at least, the headline appears to be: Petrol is dead*, long live petrol!

*Except it isn’t really.