Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of introducing a scrappage scheme on (a) raising the market share of electric vehicle sales and (b) ending the sale of petrol, diesel and hybrid vehicles by 2035.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Government has no current plans to introduce a scrappage scheme to support the transition to zero emission and electric vehicles. We are investing?around?£2.5bn??with grants available for ultra-low emission vehicles, as well?as funding?to support charge point infrastructure at homes,?workplaces,?on residential streets?and across the wider roads network. We are consulting on bringing forward the end to the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans from 2040 to 2035, or earlier if a faster transition appears feasible, as well as including hybrids for the first time. By talking to stakeholders about the best way to achieve that ambition, we will more easily be able to identify what measures would be needed to support the transition.
Asked by: Elliot Colburn (Conservative - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to reduce emissions from vehicle idling.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Powers to tackle vehicle idling are available to Local Authorities, including the ability to issue Fixed Penalty Notices where necessary. However, this issue will not be solved simply through fining motorists. Local Authorities should utilise a range of methods to encourage motorists to change their behaviour, including public information campaigns. Better technology can play a part in addressing idling, such as stop-start technology and low- or -zero-emission vehicles. In particular the growth in Electric Vehicle sales is expected to assist in lowering emissions.
Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what impact, if any, the introduction of electric vehicles has had on sales of new cars; and how they intend to encourage additional demand for electric vehicles through the provision of incentives.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In 2019, registrations of battery electric vehicles were at record levels. This was almost double compared to 2018 with nearly 38,000 units sold, overtaking plug-in hybrid electric vehicle registrations for the first time, at nearly 35,000 units. There were over 2.3 million new car registrations in 2019; a decline of 2.4% compared to 2018. Falling car sales are in line with other countries in Europe, including Germany and France, as a result of global slowdown and changing consumer demand.
Government grants for plug-in vehicles are available to help reduce the upfront purchase price of electric vehicles. Drivers of ultra-low emission vehicles also receive other benefits, including lower tax rates and grants towards the installation of chargepoints. For example, all zero emission models will pay no company car tax in 2020-21 and 1% in 2021-22, before returning to the planned 2% rate in 2022-23 – a significant tax saving for employees and employers.
Local authorities may also provide additional incentives such as free parking or exemption from the congestion charge.
We stated in our Road to Zero Strategy that consumer incentives will continue to play a role beyond 2020.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to (a) help reduce the purchase cost of electric vehicles and (b) improve the electric vehicle infrastructure.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
We are investing nearly £1.5bn? between April 2015 and March 2021 to support the transition to zero emission motoring and have put in place a range of grant schemes, available in any urban or rural areas UK-wide, to support the installation of charging infrastructure. We will set out a vision by Spring 2020 for a core infrastructure network of rapid and high powered chargepoints along England’s strategic road network.
The Government has put in place various grant funding schemes to assist with the up-front cost of purchasing eligible electric vehicles. Motorists who choose to make the switch to electric also benefit from lower Vehicle Excise Duty and, from April 2020, lower company car tax rates.
As part of our consultation to bring forward the end of sales of petrol, diesel and hybrid cars and vans, Government is asking for views on what measures are required to support this transition.
Asked by: Alan Whitehead (Labour - Southampton, Test)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate she has made of the (a) additional grid capacity and (b) electricity generating requirements that will be needed to achieve the ban of internal combustion engine sales by 2035.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
We are consulting on bringing forward the end of the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles; including hybrids under this definition for the first time, to 2035, or earlier if feasible. We will be engaging with stakeholders, including those in the energy sector, to understand what support will be required to enable this transition, and minimise the impact on businesses, workers and consumers across the UK, building on the significant demand and supply side measures in place.
Our analysis suggests limited additional impact on electricity generation capacity up to 2030. The electricity market is already set up to promote investment in generation capacity to meet demand; for example, the Contracts for Difference scheme facilitates significant investment in low-carbon generation. This complements numerous measures to ensure a smarter, more flexible energy system, increasing the efficiency of the electricity system to prepare for electric vehicles. Ofgem, the independent energy regulator, is developing its next set of energy network price controls to incentivise network companies to be ready for the future needs of the energy system, including the required capacity required to support EVs.
‘Smart’ charging of electric vehicles (at off-peak times) can reduce demand from Electric Vehicle charging at peak times. Government has taken powers in the Automated and Electric Vehicles Act to mandate that all charge points sold or installed in the UK must be smart enabled and has recently consulted on secondary regulations. Government has also invested £30 million to support vehicle-to-grid technology, where the storage capability of electric vehicle batteries provides electricity back to the grid.
Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to introduce incentives to increase the number of electric vehicles purchased by consumers.
Answered by George Freeman
The Government’s Road to Zero strategy published in July 2018 sets out a clear pathway to zero emissions. We are investing nearly £1.5bn between April 2015 and March 2021, with grants available for plug-in cars, vans, lorries, buses, taxis and motorcycles, and schemes to support charge point infrastructure at homes, workplaces and on residential streets. We are also considering the introduction of green number plates. To improve consumer attitudes towards electric vehicles, in collaboration with industry, Government also founded the Go Ultra Low communications campaign to promote the benefits of electric vehicles and enable consumers and businesses to make the switch. This comprises of the most comprehensive support packages in the world for the transition to zero emission vehicles.
As the Manifesto set out, and the Secretary of State spoke about in October, the Government intends to consult on the earliest date that we can phase out the sale of new conventional petrol and diesel cars, while minimising the impact on drivers and businesses.
Government is supporting further growth of the public network through the launch of the Chargepoint Infrastructure Investment Fund. £200 million of Government funding is matched-funded by private investment to install chargepoints. The first investment round, worth a total of £70 million, will ensure the delivery of a further 3,000 rapid charging devices by 2024, more than doubling the current number of rapid charging devices
Our Manifesto last year stated that, along with the private sector, the Government will invest £1 billion in charging infrastructure – making sure that everyone is within 30 miles of a rapid charging station for electric vehicles.
Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what comparative assessment he has made of the rates of take-up of non-petrol/diesel road vehicles between the UK and other countries for (a) domestic, (b) goods and (c) passenger transport.
Answered by George Freeman
In 2018 the UK was the second largest market for ultra-low emission cars in the EU and the fourth largest market for battery electric cars in the EU. The UK is also global leader in the development and manufacture of electric vehicles; in 2018 a fifth of battery electric cars sold in Europe were made in the UK. So far in 2019, sales of battery electric vehicles have topped 25,000, up by over 120 per cent over the same period in 2018. Our Road to Zero Strategy sets out a clear pathway to zero emissions, to give clarity and certainty to both industry and motorists. At the end of 2018 the UK’s electric bus fleet stood at 387 vehicles, third among the leading EU ultra low emission vehicle markets and the UK also had the third largest electric van fleet. The London Black Cab fleet is now over 10 per cent ultra low emission and is among the most rapidly decarbonising globally.
The Strategy sets out support for cars, vans, HGVs, taxis and buses, including funding for both vehicles and the necessary supporting recharging and refueling infrastructure. Most recently, the first £70 million from the £400m Changepoint Infrastructure Investment Fund was invested in September 2019 and will support the installation over 3,000 rapid chargepoints across the UK – more than doubling the number of rapid chargepoints currently available.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2019 to Question 271500, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the changes to electric vehicle plug-in grants announced in November 2018 on the uptake of electric vehicles after 2021.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The plug-in car grant (PICG) was introduced in 2011 to support the early market for ultra low emission vehicles (ULEVs). Through the PICG we have supported the purchase of over 200,000 plug-in vehicles, including around 100,000 plug-in hybrid vehicles. Last year, in light of increased demand and decreasing prices, we reviewed the PICG to focus on the cleanest vehicles. While sales of plug-in hybrids have decreased since the grant was reviewed, sales of zero emission cars are up by more than 60% in 2019 so far than for the same period in 2018. Overall, sales of all alternatively fuelled cars have increased this year, compared to the same period last year. In our Road to Zero Strategy we set out ambitions for uptake of ULEVs in the UK, and stated that consumer incentives in some form will continue to play a role beyond 2020. In addition, to accelerate the shift to zero emission cars, all zero emission models will pay no company car tax in 2020-21, 1% in 2021-22 before returning to the planned 2% rate in 2022-23 – a significant tax saving for employees and employers.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the reasons for the recent fall in sales of low-emission vehicles.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
So far in 2019, sales of battery electric vehicles have increased significantly, up by 60% over the same period in 2018. Our Road to Zero Strategy sets out a clear pathway to zero emissions, to give clarity and certainty to both industry and motorists. In 2018 the UK was the second largest market for ultra-low emission vehicles in the EU. The UK is also global leader in the development and manufacture of electric vehicles; in 2018 a fifth of battery electric cars sold in Europe were made in the UK.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to introduce long-term incentives to increase sales of low-emission vehicles to help meet carbon reduction targets.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Government grants for plug-in cars, vans, taxis and motorcycles will be available until at least 2020, reducing the upfront purchase price of electric vehicles. The plug-in car grant was first introduced in 2011 and the other schemes in the years since. Purchasers of ultra-low-emission vehicles also receive other benefits, including lower tax rates and grants towards the installation of charge-points. A number of local authorities also provide additional incentives, such as free parking or exemption from the congestion charge. We stated in our Road to Zero strategy that consumer incentives in some form will continue to play a role beyond 2020. We also set out ambitions for the uptake of ultra-low-emission vehicles in the UK. We remain on track to meet these ambitions and will review progress by 2025.
In addition, as announced this week, to accelerate the shift to zero-emission cars, all zero-emission models will pay no company car tax in 2020-21, 1% in 2021-22 before returning to the planned 2% rate in 2022-23 – a significant tax saving for employees and employers.