Will this encourage others to change? Absolutely not, all it does is put more power into the arguments against moving to BEVs. Which leaves us with a clear choice, either commit to battery electric as the solution to zero emissions (allowing for zero emission production of electricity) or simply scrap that policy entirely and look for another solution that will work better. Either way, that decision needs to be done quickly to get our travel and good supply chains to net zero before 2050. Looking at the production and corporate decision making throughout the global transport industry, BEV will be the future of personal transportation right up to the point where individual ownership becomes the wrong solution. Heat pumps, again if you can’t afford it you wouldn’t be changing your boiler unless the existing one has failed. Delaying the deadline might help those in rented accommodation or those genuinely struggling with old boilers that will need replacing soon.
I view it as more of a common sense approach. Firstly we were at odd with the rest of the democratic world by setting perhaps an over ambitius target of 2030. What we are now doing is not abandoning BEV’s rather falling inline with the rest, by resetting the date to 2035.
By doing so it will allow infrastructure to grow and therefore be better equiped to meet demand. I don’t see what has been put into place today, will have any bearing where it come’s to encouraging others to change to BEV. Wallets are tight, people have got the spare cash to pay £10 or £20 grand extra on a BEV. Equally, it will also allow for battery technology to grow – better mp/K, more range per battery charge, more confidence in infrastructure. A recent report by the SMMT stated that all BEV’s sold only 8% are in the hands of private buyers, the rest go to lease companies.
Equally neither the UK or EU are equiped to meet the 40% origin target before BEV’s incur a 10% import charge when importing to both the UK and EU. This cost would be passed onto consumers. Are close neighbours are working to a 2030 on date to meet this. Surely it makes sense for us to fall in line with the date, given 75% of are cars come from the EU.
Forcing people has never been the best approach and often fails. However Fishy’s new approach is not stopping anyone from going greener sooner. If anything though, battery costs will fall through better development. Prices will stabalise making BEV’s more akin to the cost of a new ICE vehicle and become more affordable to the masses.
I won’t go into heatpumps 🙂