CPC2020: Powering up ambition on electric vehicles - a podcast by Conservative Environment Network

Panel: Sam Hall (CEN Director, Chair), Ruth Edwards MP (CEN), Tom Clarke (Head of Electric Vehicle Strategy, LV=), Emma Gatten (Environment Editor, The Telegraph), George Freeman MP (former Transport Minister, CEN)

Cars alone are responsible for 55% of transport emissions in the UK, and also contribute to air pollution which is linked to up to 36,000 deaths per year. This makes the switch to low emission electric vehicles key to getting to net zero and cleaning up our air. This event will consider what the government can do to facilitate and accelerate this transition, and how private-sector investment in EVs and their charging infrastructure can support a green economic recovery from Covid-19.

In order to meet our net zero target, the Committee on Climate Change advises that all new cars and vans should be electric by 2032 at the latest, with an earlier switchover of 2030 being even more effective at boosting domestic supply chains, cutting motorists’ costs, and securing ‘green collar’ manufacturing jobs. The government has acted on this advice and consulted on bringing forward the date to end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars, but is it feasible to bring it forward again to 2030, and what additional support would be required for manufacturers, consumers, and councils to help deliver it?

While EVs are already cheaper than petrol and diesel vehicles in terms of total lifetime costs, the sticker price is set to remain higher for the next four to five years - potentially acting as a barrier to the mass uptake of cleaner cars. This discussion will explore whether the Government’s existing schemes including the plug-in car grant goes far enough, if further fiscal incentives such as higher fuel duty are needed, and how policy can drive down manufacturing costs, particularly through R&D for battery innovation. The panellists will also discuss what more can be done to support councils to increase the number of charge points available, which is crucial to addressing range anxiety, a key challenge to the uptake of electric cars.

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