Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has plans to undertake an assessment of the potential effect of the fall in oil prices on the take up of low emissions vehicles.

The Department for Transport has not assessed the impact of recent changes to fuel prices on the uptake of Ultra Low Emission Vehicles (ULEVs). Fuel prices are one variable that can impact on Ultra Low Emission Vehicle uptake among many, including vehicle pricing, manufacturer supply, consumer demand for vehicles, infrastructure provision and the regulatory regime surrounding vehicles. Fuel prices are also volatile and short-term changes may not indicate a change in long-term prices. DfT regularly update long-term projections of ULEV uptake and take into account a wide range of variables, including the best available data on fuel prices produced by BEIS.

The Government is investing £2.5 billion? to support the market for electric vehicles. Budget 2020 included £532m extra funding to keep the Plug-in Vehicle Grants for another three years, and favourable benefit-in-kind rates for zero emission vehicles extended out to 2025. Additionally, we are providing £500 million to support the rollout of a fast-charging network for electric vehicles, ensuring that drivers will never be further than 30 miles from a rapid charging station.