THE 2035 PETROL AND DIESEL BAN - INSIGHT
Barry Parker • Feb 27, 2020
Aftermarket emissions manufacturer slams this week's announcement claiming it was made for "short term political gains"
Aftermarket giant Klarius has this week slammed the government’s announcement to bring forward its ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars from 2040 to 2035.
In a statement, Klarius said: “Using government policy to improve safety and push society toward a more sustainable future with a lower environmental impact are highly commendable.
“However, policy has to be rooted in the possible, there is no point creating a fantasy policy to grab headlines and make short term political gains – when it’s just not practical.”
The government’s announcement came ahead of the 2020 United Nations Climate Change Conference, which is to be held in Glasgow in November this year while the presidency is held by the UK government.
Klarius outlined a number of key problems with the government’s proposals.
Parking
The firm said: “The government published its own figures for parking provision a couple of years ago, stating that 32 per cent of dwellings relied on street parking, and two per cent of homes had no parking provision whatsoever.
“So, there’s 34 per cent of the population who will need to charge their cars at work or sit around at charging stations during a commute.
“This includes 73 per cent of local authority dwellings that relied on street parking compared with 20 per cent of owner-occupied homes.”
Power generation
Klarius also raises concerns surrounding power generation.
It said: “Even if everyone could charge their vehicle at home, which is clearly a fantasy, the National Grid’s own predictions for power requirements, versus the UK’s policy and plans for building new power stations mean the country would become increasingly reliant on imported electricity.
“This would rise from ~10 per cent of total electricity usage to over 30 per cent which raises serious energy security concerns.
“Then we would need the physical infrastructure upgrades to handle the additional load on the national grid.”
Public transport
Continuing its statement, Klarius said: “To move the majority of journeys from private transport to shared, public or communal transport in that time frame would also require a shift in cultural norms so huge, you would need a commitment by successive governments and overwhelming public support, which is absolutely not going to happen.”
Other sources of pollution
“On the subject of other vehicles, there is already a major issue with pollution from busses, trains, off highway equipment, emergency power and marine engines.
“Euro 6 compliant passenger vehicles are very clean – unlike your average train.”
Electric vehicle prices
“Has anyone checked the price and availability of the rare earth metals used to create the motors and batteries used in EVs, no surprise, they are rising.
“So, your average EV city car purchase is still going to be two or three times more expensive than a liquid fuelled car, which just isn’t practical unless the government has a plan for doubling everyone’s salary at the same time.”
Klarius is calling on the government to consult with the automotive industry and general public before any further action is taken. Concluding, the company said: “There needs to be a sensible transition plan that protects jobs and people’s freedom of choice as well as improving sustainability and lowering pollution.”
We invite you to visit BTE Automotive and experience the future of EV charging today. Our commitment to efficiency, security, and simplicity is unwavering, as we continue to innovate in the pursuit of a greener tomorrow.
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