The UK government made headlines last year with its plan to ban new petrol and diesel model cars by 2030, but campaigners were disappointed that there would be an exemption for some fossil-fuelled cars. Now documents released under freedom of information laws reveal that the concession came after the trade body for UK car-makers argued that the vehicles are used in a green way by drivers 鈥� a claim that independent researchers dispute.
The UK car-makers鈥� trade body, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) also provided the government with forecasts for the take-up of electric cars that ultimately proved too low.
UK prime minister Boris Johnson last November announced the ban as the centrepiece of a major series of measures on climate change, but the government made an exemption for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) by allowing them to be sold for five years after the ban.
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Such hybrids typically run for at least 30 kilometres on a battery before switching to a petrol or diesel engine, but have been found to emit much more carbon dioxide in real world use than manufacturers鈥� official figures, because of how much drivers end up relying on their engines.
However, the SMMT told the government ahead of the ban that the cars deserved to be treated differently from other petrol and diesel cars. 鈥淭he important role that PHEVs can play in reducing CO2, both now and in the future, must not be forgotten,鈥� the SMMT said in a briefing paper to the prime minister鈥檚 office, released to 快猫短视频 after a freedom of information request.
The group cited data from an unnamed car manufacturer suggesting that 63 per cent of PHEV owners charged their cars once per day. 鈥淗aving paid a premium price for these vehicles, consumers benefit in taking every opportunity to charge the electric motor to benefit from the fuel savings,鈥� the document said.
Campaigners say these claims don鈥檛 withstand scrutiny. Greg Archer at non-profit organisation Transport & Environment says: 鈥淚 have no idea where they get their figures from but they are completely at odds with all the other evidence out there. They鈥檝e not cited any source.鈥�
The real world CO2 emissions of PHEVs are two to four times as much as manufacturers鈥� official figures, according to by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), a non-profit organisation in the US. Leading car testing firm Emissions Analytics , and an of European studies of real world use of PHEVs has found that on average they emit two and a half times as much as official numbers.
Peter Mock at the ICCT says: 鈥�63 per cent of PHEVs charged once per day is actually not a good outcome as it means that a large portion of the vehicles are not charged every day and are likely to drive a significant portion of the time in combustion engine mode.鈥�
The trade body also supplied projections of take-up of electric cars, predicting sales of about 300,000 in 2025. That comes despite annual sales of fully electric cars reaching 108,000 in 2020, up 186 per cent on the year before, and more than were sold in the previous decade altogether. Archer says 500,000 in 2025 would be a more realistic estimate.
快猫短视频 asked the SMMT and the UK government about the issue and the SMMT says tests had consistently shown that PHEVs have lower emissions than petrol and diesel cars, and adds that in January it , to 175,000 in 2021 and 254,000 in 2022. Mike Hawes at the SMMT says: 鈥淧HEV range and performance will continue to improve, meaning that, for many drivers, they are the essential stepping stone to a fully electric vehicle.鈥�
The UK government says it consulted widely ahead of announcing last year鈥檚 ban. 鈥淗ybrid cars and vans are among the cleanest vehicles on the market today and will contribute to our targets to reduce emissions in the coming years,鈥� says a spokesperson at 10 Downing Street.
A consultation on the details of the PHEV exemption is expected in the next fortnight, which Archer says is an opportunity to set strict rules on sales beyond 2030. The government spokesperson says PHEVs sold after this date must be able to drive a 鈥渟ignificant distance鈥� with zero emissions, and the exact value will be determined by the consultation.
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