The government’s plans to ban the sale of petrol and diesel-engine cars starting in 2040 has sparked some questions about what this will mean for drivers and whether the UK will be ready for the switch in time. The ban aims to improve air quality as petrol and diesel vehicles give large amounts of nitrous oxide, which is up to 3 times more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, therefore making a significant contribution to the greenhouse effect.
Select Car Leasing spoke out about this issue, seeking to address such questions and to look at how much progress has already been made in the last decade in an infographic. Select Car Leasing compare nitrogen dioxide levels in the UK between 2001 and 2015, noting that “the UK Government’s data shows that a lot has been achieved over the last 15 years to improve air quality and the Petrol & Diesel scrappage will be another step in the right direction.”
The infographic also highlights the importance of reducing nitrogen dioxide in the atmosphere as it can have adverse health effects, such as worsening asthma and increasing sensitivity to allergens. Select Car Leasing also draw on some research from a report by Dutch Bank ING about the introduction of electric vehicles. This report explores the notion that electric vehicles are threatening the European car industry. It predicts that next year ultra-fast charging will be rolled out across Europe and by 2020 batteries will be able to travel further in one charge. By 2035, car battery cost will be less and once electrical car purchasing prices begin to rival petrol and diesel cars, then the electric vehicle market will begin to move quickly.
Included are comments from industry experts to better understand if the UK will be ready to make the switch to electric vehicles by 2040. Select Car Leasing note that “some people believe that a plan announcing changes in 2040, is a simply a smoke screen so that the Government does need to deal with the situation now.” For example, Labour MP Mary Creagh, chair of the Commons Environmental Audit Committee says that, “air pollution causes 40,000 early deaths every year in the UK, but todays plan shows the Government kicking the can down the road once more.”
Likewise, others believe “by 2040 we simply will not be ready to make the shift from petrol & diesel cars to electric ones,” says Select Car Leasing. “Right now public charging facilities are patchy, there is very little on-street charging in residential areas and, unlike filling up a car with petrol or diesel, drivers cannot recharge a vehicle in a matter of minutes,” says Nicholas Lyes, RAC roads policy spokesman.
