Select committee: Transport Committee
Conclusion 3
Third Report - Fuelling the future: motive power and connectivity
Published 2 Mar 2023
Paragraph 48
Addressed to Department for Transport
Transport Committee Fuelling the future: motive power and connectivity All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
While maintaining an official line on technology neutrality with respect to achieving zero emissions in private cars, the Government is in fact ‘putting all its eggs in one basket’: battery EVs. The reality is that not everyone in the UK can afford a new or second-hand electric vehicle, and if they could, cannot easily charge one at home. The infrastructure is not adequate to deliver sufficient electricity to homes, and there are insufficient raw materials to produce the battery banks needed for all vehicles to be EVs. We therefore caution against the promotion of electric vehicles as being the only solution to reducing carbon emissions from private vehicles; as the cliff edge of 2030 (2035, 2040 and 2050) approaches and minds are concentrated, reality will bite.
From: Transport Committee, Third Report - Fuelling the future: motive power and connectivity (HC 159), paragraph 48, 2 March 2023
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 15 June 2023 (deadline 2 May 2023).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government accepts or agrees with some recommendations on charging infrastructure, HGVs, maritime and rural transport, but disagrees with those favouring plug-in hybrids, sustained non-electric cars and a broader technology approach, saying the end goal "must be zero exhaust emissions".
- On electrification and plug-in hybrids, the government "disagrees with this recommendation", saying ZEVs are crucial to net zero and research shows EVs lower lifecycle emissions compared with plug-in hybrids.
- On sustainable fuels, it "recognises the merit" in drop-in fuels but does not agree the legislative framework is misleading; it will set out a low carbon fuels strategy "later this year".
- It agrees to publish its Future of Transport Rural Strategy and "will look to do so in the coming months", and agrees to publish a long-term HGV decarbonisation strategy.
- On rail, it "partially agrees": Great British Railways Transition Team will bring forward costed options for consideration "before any plan can be developed".