As part of the Government’s ‘Air Quality Plan,’ they have announced the total ban on sales of new petrol & diesel vehicles by 2040, with the aim for almost every vehicle on the road to be zero-emission by 2050. Ambitious?
This article outlines some of the challenges ahead and also highlights what the government is doing to support this plan.
Starting with the positives:
- 70% of new car sales & 40% of new van sales to be ultra-low emission by 2030
- £400 million being earmarked for the launch of the ‘Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund’
- Grants for workplace charging
So what are the challenges?
- What does the ban on the sale of new petrol & diesel mean? Hybrid vehicles will almost certainly be allowed under this new regime, but there are different types – it isn’t clear what the measurements will be on this.
- Their plan also suggests that they are going to work with the industry to continue testing gas, the results of which will be used to inform decisions on future government policies around the use of natural gas in transport
- Suggestions that there are more policies coming – does this mean a change of plan?
These challenges create uncertainty, especially when there are already plenty of arguments to suggest electricity isn’t the only alternative fuel.
Last year, the Government made a firm promise as part of its Air Quality Plan: a total ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans from 2040. And the same document also expressed a related desire: for almost every car and van on roads to be zero-emission by 2050.
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