Comment: UK 2030 ban on petrol and diesel cars, road to green recovery is adopting EVs
Posted by: electime 18th November 2020
Following the announcement that the ban on new petrol and diesel cars has been brought forward to 2030 under the Prime Minister’s 10 point plan, top companies offer their comment.
David Hall, VP Power Systems, Schneider Electric said:
The road to recovery is green. Scrapping polluting petrol and diesel cars in favour of EVs is not only a key driver in reducing our carbon footprint but could be vital in stimulating the economy through a “green recovery.”
Encouraging more people to adopt electric vehicles is at the heart of the government’s efforts to tackle climate change and reduce air pollution – especially as emissions from the transport sector accounts for 23 per cent of the UK’s overall CO2 emissions.
It is clear that with the UK now having more EV charging points than petrol stations and a ban on combustion cars to be brought forward to 2030, we should be determined to ensure EVs become the dominant purchase option during the next ten years.
With this boom in the e-mobility sector being powered by electricity, we need to turn our attention to the potential strain EV adoption could put on the UK’s power infrastructure.
Utilities stakeholders need to decide how to invest in upgrading the electrical network without creating upward pressure on the cost of electricity for consumers and businesses, which may weaken the appetite for electric vehicle charging.
Green Industrial Revolution needs long term plan to green our homes, says FMB:
Today’s announcement about the start of a Green Industrial Revolution needs to go further with the inclusion of a long term strategy to make all our homes greener and more energy efficient, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB)
Brian Berry, Chief Executive of FMB said: “The extension of the Green Homes Grant for another year is very positive news, and shows that builders’ concerns have been listened to. This will give the reassurance needed to the building industry to invest in the scheme. However, the Green Revolution needs to be more ambitious about the built environment if the Government is serious about creating a low carbon economy.”
Berry continued: “Our existing homes contribute 20 per cent of all our carbon emissions and consume 35 per cent of our energy. A long term retrofit strategy is needed over the next two decades to make all our existing homes more energy efficient. Such a strategy has the potential to create hundreds of thousands of new jobs and save the NHS as much as £2 billion because of the cost of people living in poor housing conditions.”
Berry concluded: “The start of the Green Industrial Revolution has huge potential to improve everyone’s lives but tacking all our homes to make them greener and more energy efficient has to be an immediate priority and this requires a long term strategy.”
Richard Molloy, Business Development Manager Energy Storage, Eaton said:
“It’s great to hear that the Government has brought forward the ban on fossil fuel vehicles to 2030 – the electrification of transport will be critical if we are to meet our national targets on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the sooner we reduce the number of cars on the road that are reliant on petrol and diesel the better.
“While it’s encouraging to hear of our confidence in facilitating the transition to electric vehicles by 2030, industry leaders must work in tandem with the Government and think big as far as how – and where – to invest the £1.3bn allocated funding for EV charging infrastructure. Besides commercial and industrial ‘smart’ charging, leveraging technologies such as energy storage and demand response will support the growth of solar, wind and other green power sources. This will ensure the UK’s shift to an affordable, flexible, renewables-led holistic energy system to support the impending surge in energy demand from EVs. Making the most of these technologies will reduce our overall reliance on fossil fuels and will give us the opportunity to create a new energy mix – one which prepares for the power system flexibility challenge we face in the UK.”
George Webb, CEO, Liquid Gas UK said:
“The Government has laid down an ambitious marker for creating a green future for the UK, transforming the economy to create thousands of jobs and spurring future growth. This ambition is welcomed and puts the UK as a leader in tackling climate change and meeting net-zero.
“One of the biggest challenges the UK faces is how we heat our homes and businesses. Today’s plan sets out ambitious targets to roll out heat pumps across the UK which simply aren’t credible. The UK has a great track record of setting arbitrary figures and going on to miss them. This is another one in the making. The plan completely overlooks the fact that heat pumps won’t work everywhere. They must be used efficiently so that we avoid the risk of putting them in homes that are not suitable.
“While heat pumps have a clear role to pay, a route solely focused on electrification will leave millions behind, especially in rural, off-grid, areas where homes are often more difficult to heat. It is vital that we take a mixed technology approach that uses a range of clean fuels such as bioLPG and hybrid heat pumps. Such an approach would save £7billion.
“Today we have the headlines but industry urgently needs the details. We have a long overdue energy white paper as well as a heating strategy for buildings that must deliver on detail and reflect the need for a mixed technology approach.
“The LPG industry is committed to being part of Net Zero and providing a viable green energy solution through bioLPG to off-grid homes and businesses in the UK. The industry is investing over £600million over the next five years with an additional £106million committed to bioLPG. BioLPG represents a cleaner energy future, with a reduction of up to 90 per cent in carbon emissions. As a drop in fuel, switching over from LPG to bioLPG means there is almost no upfront cost to existing users.”
