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The Transport Secretary grant Shapps has given a clear indication that the UK will not follow the European Union鈥檚 policy of allowing cars with conventional internal combustion engines running on synthetic fuel to remain on sale past 2030/35.

According to current policy, only zero emission cars and hybrids capable of travelling a 鈥渟ignificant distance鈥� in zero-emission (IE battery) mode can be sold new from 2030, before only 鈥渮ero emission鈥� (IE electric) cars are allowed from new in 2035 and beyond.

A Department for Transport (DfT) source previously told it may follow the EU鈥檚 lead and allow cars running on so-called 鈥榚-fuels鈥� to be sold past the 2035 cut-off 鈥� as long as the fuels are 鈥渆ffectively鈥� zero-emission.

Now, however, DfT boss Grant Shapps has denied the UK will follow this path, saying: 鈥淲e are not in Europe, we don鈥檛 have to do what Europe does鈥� with regard to EU鈥檚 e-fuel ruling, and that 鈥淲e鈥檝e always been more forward leaning on this stuff than the EU.鈥�

Cars running on synthetic e-fuel still produce carbon dioxide from their exhausts, but the huge amounts of CO2 absorbed during the production of synthetic fuel means that on a large scale, they could be achieve carbon neutrality.

This is Money previously reported that the Department for Transport鈥檚 said that if synthetic fuel is proven to be 鈥渆ffectively zero-emission鈥�, then cars running on the fuel could be sold past 2035 鈥� a comment that has now apparently been contradicted by the department鈥檚 boss.

The technology behind so-called e-fuels sees renewable energy used to synthesise fuels that ignite in an engine in a manner similar to petrol and diesel. Carbon is captured either directly from the air or industrial plants, before renewable energy is used to produce hydrogen, which is combined with CO2 to make hydrocarbon-based fuels.

Cars running on e-fuel still produce pollution at the exhaust, but the carbon-capturing processes that can be deployed when making synthetic fuel offsets those emissions.

The European Union is also slated to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035. But, earlier in the month, and following objections from a number of EU countries (most notably Germany), Reuters reported that the European Commission has drafted plans that would allow e-fuel cars to remain on sale past 2035.

Reuters says the European Commission鈥檚 plans, which it has seen, would create a new category of vehicle capable of running on synthetic fuel, but a 鈥渇uelling inducement system鈥� would prevent the car from working if it were filled with conventional petrol or diesel.