The Government’s move to broaden its focus on air quality beyond the car industry has been welcomed, but senior figures including Jaguar Land Rover’s UK managing director, Jeremy Hicks, have cautioned that more clarity is required.
Diesel has sustained a period of attack instigated last summer by environment secretary Michael Gove and this is thought to be largely responsible for the 17% drop in diesel car registrations in 2017 and a decline of just over a third so far this year. This week, Gove revealed that the Government is looking at ways to reduce all forms of pollution as part of its clean air strategy, higlighting the effects of wood burners, coal-burning and ammonia from farms. Notably, he did not mention cars.
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“Frankly, there is so much confusion now created by the Government,” said Hicks. “Our own surveys suggest that people are asking if it is even okay to buy an internal combustion engine any more. The terminology is unclear — a lot of people don’t know if Euro 1 is better than Euro 6. The Government’s taxation policy is unclear. The uncertainty and ambiguity has caused untold confusion.
“Anyone who was thinking they could sort air quality out by demonising diesel was thinking in the same terms as someone who thinks they can solve alcoholism by banning beer. Cars are part of the problem, but they are far from being the only problem.”
Both Hicks and Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) chief executive Mike Hawes highlighted the need for clarity in order to restore consumer confidence, especially from the mooted Road to Zero plan, which is rumoured to have the goal of ensuring all cars sold from 2040 will be able to drive 50 miles on pure electric power.
“Go too fast and neither the consumer nor the industry will go with you,” said Hawes. “Setting goals for 2040 is fine, but there is an element of crystal ball gazing to it. If Government picks a winning technology, then it is discounting alternatives. I certainly couldn’t tell you whether battery-electric will be the solution in 2040, or hydrogen or synthetic fuels or something else. I’d like to see a proposed solution that sets targets but which is technology neutral.”
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Hicks added: “Last year, electric cars accounted for less than 2% of the market. There is a long way to go until 2040 and we have to get there in a way that brings the consumer with us. We want to get there, too — as an individual, because I breathe the same air as everyone else, and as a company, because we see the societal benefits — but we have to apply the right debates. It’s not about mandating one technology; it’s about all sorts of things, from educating drivers to actually plug their cars in so they do run on electricity and cut emissions, to creating not just a charging infrastructure but one that charges at speeds that make electric cars practical.”
The Government’s goal is to reduce the cost of air pollution by an estimated £1 billion every year by 2020 and £2.5bn from 2030. Officials say air pollution is the fourth biggest threat to public health after cancer, obesity and heart disease.
