Boris Johnson has confirmed that all cars must be zero-emission by 2035, with the hopes of having electric cars gliding silently around cities.’
It has been a long time coming, but the government announced their Net Zero Strategy last Tuesday. The hope is that the whole of the UK will be powered entirely by clean electricity by 2035. This may seem like a long time off, but the government is well aware of the mammoth task ahead of them if they are to reach this target.
But What Does A Fully Zero-Emission Car Mean?
To be classed as zero-emissions, a vehicle must not emit any tailpipe emissions. Factors like manufacturing, refuelling or recharging aren’t considered to make a car zero emissions.
It's also important to note that hybrid cars aren't classed as zero emissions as they still emit tailpipe emissions when they use petrol or diesel.
What Is The Plan?
Much was made of the government's plan to end the sale of all new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, and these plans have been further reinforced by this latest announcement.
From 2024, the government will introduce target sales for manufacturers to reach with zero-emissions cars. This will require manufacturers to sell a proportion of cars that are battery-electric or vans that don’t emit emissions from their tailpipes. The hope is that this will encourage buyers to purchase battery-electric cars and ease the transition to solely electric cars in the future.
The government has also promised to implement a“zero-emission vehicle mandate” as well as committing £620 million to help with infrastructure for electric cars and vans in the UK.
Criticism
The latest plan has received some criticism from opposing parties and campaign groups. The Net Zero Strategy is seen by many as a let down from the government, with campaigners describing them as too half-hearted, offering little in the way of definite resolutions and more hopeful thoughts for what companies could do to reduce cars' zero emissions.
No matter what your feelings are on electric cars or zero-emission cars, it appears the government is ploughing on with their plans to transition to electric vehicles in the near future.
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