Labour poised to water down electric car rules amid crisis in industry
Jonathan Reynolds, the Business Secretary, on Tuesday night confirmed a review of the Government’s zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate after warnings from carmakers that the rules were putting the industry’s future at risk.
Mr Reynolds told bosses at an industry dinner on Tuesday that the Government will announce a fast-track consultation on changes to its ZEV mandate, which requires an ever-greater percentage of manufacturers’ sales to be electric over the next six years.
He said: “We are absolutely committed to our manifesto commitment of a 2030 phase-out for new cars powered solely by internal combustion engines. We are not changing our level of ambition for the transition, and there will be no repeat of the uncertainty generated by the previous administration.
“But at the same time, the Transport Secretary and I have heard you loud and clear on the need for support to make this transition a success, and that’s why we will be consulting with you on changes to the same mandate and inviting your views on options for a better way forward.”
And it is probable that Nemesis at that precise moment licked her dry lips. "Fun!" thought Nemesis.
E. F. Benson - Lucia In London (1927)
3 comments:
"for new cars powered solely by internal combustion engines."
"solely" => cave-in. But it'll be an ill thought out cave-in.
The Conservatives loosened some of the EV targets. Labour are about to loosen some targets, heat pumps and eventually EVs.
How long before some bright spark realises that the targets have no groundswell of public support and can only be used to make MPs own political lives more difficult?
There's a career for some who proposes to reverse the legislation (to remove it from judicial oversight) and produce a 'step lightly on the Earth' Code of Practice, an Environment Code as it were. Perhaps...
* Do not discharge raw sewage into streams or the sea.
* Do not cut down trees unnecessarily.
* Adopt an EV if it makes sense to you.
* Use minimal wrapping materials, and make it obvious how to recycle it.
* Release the unattractive bits of the Green Belt for housebuilding.
* Build justified ring roads to reduce town centre congestion and traffic fumes.
I'm sure drawing up such a code could keep bureaucrats occupied for ages - another side benefit.
dearieme - it will be ill thought out. Sounds as if hybrids will be okay, but they will probably make a mess of that market too with various restrictions and caveats.
DJ - they will find the first one difficult, but a simple Environment Code as you propose should work if compiled by pragmatic people who are aware of trade-offs. What we lack are bureaucrats able and willing to do that and a level of political oversight to push it through.
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