Green Machines | ICE ban and bikers get 'green' protection - sustainability news January 2026

There’s little doubt our cars are on the path to full electrification, the only question being how quickly it happens and the level of government or regulatory involvement encouraging the switch. It’s something individual countries and regional regulators like the EU are both battling with, our own parliament arguing over changes to the deadline for the ‘ban’ on internal combustion powered cars while the EU is also considering a relaxation in its own 2035 deadline, as we reported on just before Christmas.
Driving such fundamental behaviour change in car manufacturers and their customers – which is to say, us – was never going to be easy, whether at a local, national or regional level. And the realities of implementing well-intentioned programmes like the ZEV mandate have created serious challenges for those building, selling and buying cars alike, even if the trends generally look good thanks to incentives like the Electric Car Grant. Here at Autotrader we recognise the switch to electric presents challenges for everyone. But the direction of travel is clear. “Despite the scrapping of the 2035 ban, the EU’s broader commitment to the EV transition remains clear,” says Autotrader’s Chief Customer Officer Ian Plummer. “The huge investment by manufacturers in electric vehicle production means the phase-out of petrol and diesel cars is inevitable, it is just a question of when rather than if.” Suffice to say, wherever you are on your personal journey to electrification we’ve got your back!

Europe is capable of producing all the electric car batteries it requires by 2030, according to a new forecast from New AutoMotive, reported by leading sustainability site edie. Currently, Europe relies heavily on China for the processing of critical raw materials, including many rare-earth metals required for car batteries, wind turbines, mobile phones and much more vital infrastructure as well as the batteries themselves. In response, The EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act of 2024 mandated domestic extraction of at least 10 per cent of all critical raw materials needed, while meeting a 25 per cent recycling rate. There is also a stipulation to import materials from a more diverse list of countries. All targets laid out in the Act have a 2030 deadline. So far, more than 82bn euros has been invested in European battery gigafactories. If all projects come to fruition “the continent will host 1.2 tWh [terawatt-hours] of gigafactory capacity” according to edie, or enough to meet the continent’s demand. However, the focus on gigafactories has potentially come at the expense of building a resilient investment pipeline in refining and anode materials, according to NewAutoMotive, which is a UK-based NGO.
While the UK has significant gigafactories in Sunderland, near the Nissan plant, and one underway in Somerset, leading battery chemists are busy raising investment for plants abroad, including the States, due to the far lower energy costs.

It was only last week we were talking about government plans to improve safety on the roads, vulnerable users like cyclists, pedestrians and motorcyclists still at disproportionate risk even if cars are getting safer.
In that sense the leather jackets and other clothing worn by motorcyclists isn’t just about the look – they’re genuinely PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and packed with the latest technology to protect riders in the case of a crash. This includes clever body armour, which is soft and flexible in normal wear but then hardens on impact. There are various branded options in the market but we’ve just been trying a jacket lined with armour from sustainability focused brand RE ZRO. The materials used in armour aren’t usually that eco-friendly but RE ZRO has looked at every part of the lifecycle, from manufacture to disposal. Which may come following a crash, when most riders would look to replace their armour out of an abundance of caution. RE ZRO’s pads are moulded from single-polymer TPE, any waste product from cutting out ventilation or similar collected and re-used in the production process. If you do end up damaging your RE ZRO armour and send it back to them they can then recycle it on-site to be re-used in new armour, or you can do the same through regular recycling. Failing that if it goes into landfill the RE ZRO armour is actually fully biodegradable, and breaks down in as little as five years. Thankfully this won’t happen while you’re using it, no matter how sweaty you might get when you’re riding! Smart thinking, and nice work RE ZRO.

• Green Machines – sustainability news December 2025 | Mazda stores CO2 from exhaust gasses and BMW aims to cut emissions, but will biofuel save the car industry?
• Sustainability newsletter – November 2025 | Are criminals a growing threat to EV charging, which electric cars have we driven this month and what do battery passports look like? • Sustainability newsletter – October 2025 | September’s new car registrations, more renewable energy and Chinese brands for the win • Sustainability newsletter – September | SUVs in the crosshairs but can BMW’s sustainable new iX3 help counter the stereotype? • Sustainability newsletter – August 2025 | Volvo talks carbon footprints, Vauxhall campaigns for accessible on-road charging and the SMMT calls for energy grid reform • Sustainability newsletter – July 2025 | Kia helps clean up the oceans, BMW’s natural ‘carbon fibre’ and Volvo commits to using recycled steel • Sustainability newsletter – June 2025 | Reusing old electric car batteries, the antithesis of the Tesla Cybertruck and applications open for Edie’s Net-Zero Awards • Sustainability newsletter – May 2025 | Reducing emissions, creating a circular economy and the King’s Award for Enterprise, but are commercial vehicles being left behind? • Sustainability newsletter – April 2025 | Car brands fined for hiding data on recyclable material in their vehicles and a potential upside to American tariffs • Sustainability newsletter – March 2025 | Climate crisis, policy proposals and big changes at Bentley – is it too late for the car industry to become more sustainable? • Sustainability newsletter – February 2025 | Transatlantic divide on sustainability grows, UK charging and battery manufacturing gets a boost and Audi in a muddle • Sustainability newsletter – January 2025 | 2025 looks set to be the year of the affordable EV • Sustainability newsletter – December 2024 | Cornish Lithium’s UK sourced raw materials for electric car batteries and its wider role in carbon reduction • Sustainability newsletter – November 2024 | The Autumn Budget, sales of electric vehicles, sustainable materials and planning for the future • Sustainability newsletter – October 2024 | Industry asks government to make EVs more affordable in name of Net Zero and how sustainability works as a selling point • Sustainability newsletter – September 2024 | Road charging for electric cars, UK’s car manufacturers clean up their act and VW explores hemp-based bio interiors • Sustainability newsletter – August 2024 | Is stimulating electric car sales ‘green’ and how improved charging infrastructure is helping with the great summer getaway • Sustainability newsletter – July 2024 | Hidden carbon cost of tech, Volvo pushes for more recycled plastics and Renault secures greener supply chain for EV batteries • Sustainability newsletter – June 2024 | Farewell chrome plating, bravo for Renault’s recycled interiors and a cheer for the … circular economy for recycled tyres • Sustainability newsletter – May 2024 | Lithium is key in the production of electric car batteries, but where does it all come from and at what cost? • Sustainability newsletter – March 2024 | The importance of renewable energy in making sure electric cars really are the green choice, and one Dutch couple’s mission to prove it! • Sustainability newsletter – January 2024 | French act on heavy SUVs and embedded CO2 of imported electric cars, BYD plans European factory and Nio opens battery swapping centres • Sustainability newsletter – December 2024 | Vauxhall electrifies Britain’s streets, a second life for electric car batteries and recycled Alcantara seat fabric combines luxury and sustainability • Sustainability newsletter – November 2023 | Costs for EV batteries fall, funding for UK-sourced lithium project, GM goes renewable and Lynk & Co commits to life cycle CO2 audits • Sustainability newsletter – October 2023 | Costs for EV batteries fall, funding for UK-sourced lithium project, GM goes renewable and Lynk & Co commits to life cycle CO2 audits • Sustainability newsletter – September 2023 | Erin Baker shares her thoughts on the UK's changing net zero targets and delaying the 2030 ban for new petrol and diesel cars. • Sustainability newsletter – August 2023 | Zapmap reports increased charger installations, Lime's e-mobility revolution and Nissan's autonomous driving • Sustainability newsletter – July 2023 | Public charging network expands, hydrogen back on the agenda and choosing green tyres • Sustainability newsletter – June 2023 | BMW helps electrify the UK’s national parks and Kia ditches leather across its range of cars • Sustainability newsletter – May 2023 | What upholstery will you be choosing for your next car - leather or pleather? • Sustainability newsletter – April 2023 | Polestar’s ‘moonshot’ for a zero emissions car and a look into synthetic fuels as a possible lifeline for internal combustion classics • Sustainability newsletter – February 2023 | Our regular sustainability round-up continues with a look at some new recycled materials this month, all of which could be in your car soon • Sustainability newsletter – January 2023 | Eco awareness is driving more and more car buying decisions for a variety of reasons -here we celebrate those doing it right!--