Ban petrol cars

Sales of new petrol and diesel cars should be banned from 2032 says the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), an independent non-departmental public body, a quango consisting of members of the House of Lords, academics and former civil servants.

Previously the Committee has suggested 2035.

At present electric cars only account for 4.3% of car sales but they have risen by 132% in the first five months of the year.

Mike Hawes, Chief Executive at the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said that there are more than 60 plugin models now available and 36 more coming this year.

In its report to Parliament the Committee said the ban should apply to hybrid vehicles and motor bikes and that there should be large scale trials regarding emissions from heavy goods vehicles.  It recommends that Ministers seize the opportunity to turn the Covid-19 crisis into a defining moment in the fight against climate change.

CCC Chairman, Lord Deben (the former John Gummer MP and a former Secretary of State for the Environment and Chairman of the Conservative Party), said: “The UK is facing its biggest economic shock for a generation. Meanwhile, the global crisis of climate change is accelerating. We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to address these urgent challenges together; it’s there for the taking. The steps that the UK takes to rebuild from the Covid-19 pandemic can accelerate the transition to a successful and low-carbon economy and improve our climate resilience. Choices that lock in emissions or climate risks are unacceptable.”

www.theccc.org.uk

www.smmt.co.uk

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All comments are filtered to exclude any excesses but the Editor does not have to agree with what is being said. 100 words maximum

Simon Grigor, Harrow

The line about new sales is an interesting one. It's widely known that new car sales have plummeted in the first five months of the year due to Covid and the related closing of car showrooms. So, is it the case that electric car sales NUMBERS have risen, or that - of the much smaller number of cars that have been sold - electric cars have taken a higher percentage of the sales?