2030 - The end of the ICE age.
On Tuesday the Government announced that the ban on the sale of Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles will brought forward to 2030. They also answered some (although not all) of the questions that were bubbling away beneath the surface.
We now know that PHEV’s (plug-in hybrid electric vehicles) and HEV’s (hybrid electric vehicles) will be on sales until 2035. But what will qualify as a HEV? Also, is there going to be a new plan for public charging infrastructure? Regardless of the answers to these questions, we still need to think about how we travel, and how we view our cars.
The new normal is going to be electric, which will come with a whole new set of opportunities. Not just in how different manufacturers will design their vehicles, but in how we use them. But we’ve already seen so many changes in how we drive, this new powertrain shift is just the latest. Remember the days before supermarket filling stations? Or when cars (the MG Maestro) achieved a reported 34.4 mpg with an 11 gallon fuel tank and a range of 378 miles, which is the same as the Ford Mustang Mach-E.
Adjusting to a new way of driving will inevitably cause you to seek comparisons, but learning something new always takes a bit of time. And the time to start learning how to use an electric vehicle is now. It’s unlikely that manufactures will wait until 31st December 2029 to stop producing ICE cars for the UK market. The process is already changing, and we’re likely to see a steady reduction in the number of ICE vehicles available not just in the UK, but across Europe.
So, what are our options? Well, we only really have one; to switch powertrain and go electric. Whether you do it next week, next month or next year, change is inevitable. So why not take advantage of the incentives offered by the Government and do it now, while the incentives still exist?
If you’re interested in how you could start incorporating electric vehicles into your fleet, we have a selection of guides that cover not only business cases for BEVs, but also how to consider the financing of your fleet and how, using the total cost of ownership, electric vehicles are a better, long-term financial choice. Find out more here: https://aldcommunications.co.uk/p/RW3-GEX/fleetguides
Chief Sustainability Officer
4 年Even if there is still a degree of uncertainty on the eligible scope for 2030, 2035 with a 0g limit sets a clear and drastic perspective. With this regulatory push and the EV-readiness of ALD UK (product offer, tools and committed people like you Matt) we can expect the UK to be at the forefront of ALD’s powertrain shift, a key dimension of our Move2025 Strategic Plan!
Decarbonisation, EV Ownership, Charging, V2G and Efficiency Expert
4 年One area that i've been giving a lot of thought over the last 18 months is if/how fleet managers will be advising their employees about how to charge at home in the most cost effective way. I think i've nailed it, but are the fleet managers ready? It's already proven surprisingly difficult to convince manufacturer sales staff to promote cost effective home charging.
Vice President - Europe (Interim) at ChargePoint
4 年Well said Matt.