Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the environment costs and benefits of the transition from petrol, diesel, and hybrid engines, in terms of the (a) carbon emissions from the electricity required and (b) steel used.

The Department for Transport developed the Transport Energy Model, published in 2018, to provide a clear assessment of the relative environmental impacts of different road vehicle technologies and fuels in the UK. For a typical medium car travelling at 34 km/hour, Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG from fuel/electricity production and vehicle use) for a Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) were 66% lower than for a petrol car and 60% lower than for a diesel car. The Transport Energy Model also showed that BEVs are highly energy efficient – a typical BEV uses a two thirds less energy than the average petrol vehicle to move the same distance.

Lifecycle analysis looks at the total GHG emissions of a vehicle across its lifetime, including manufacturing, in-use and end-of-life. The latest evidence from lifecycle analysis shows that BEVs have significantly lower GHG emissions than their petrol, diesel or hybrid equivalents today. The leading lifecycle analysis studies have included emissions associated with vehicle production, including steel, and emissions from fuel or electricity production. To maximise environmental benefits, electric vehicles (EVs) and their batteries need to be manufactured and charged using electricity from low carbon sources. With the Government’s announcement of up to £1bn to support EV supply chains, our increasing use of low carbon energy sources, and our commitment to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, the UK is an attractive option for investment in low-carbon battery manufacture. UK BEV emissions, from energy production and use, are expected to fall to near zero by 2050 as the electricity grid decarbonises in line with Government projections.