Select committee: Transport Committee
Recommendation 7
Third Report - Fuelling the future: motive power and connectivity
Published 2 Mar 2023
Paragraph 52
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 ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
The continued focus on battery electric vehicles alone risks failing to meet the UK’s climate goals. Demand for more and more range from electric vehicles makes them very heavy and very expensive, tying up precious resources in an energy store that might rarely be used. Distributing those resources across more plug-in hybrid vehicles with smaller battery packs that enable 80 per cent of our journeys to be completed electrically yet retaining extended range using an ICE running on a sustainable fuel might be a better compromise.
From: Transport Committee, Third Report - Fuelling the future: motive power and connectivity (HC 159), paragraph 52, 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".