REA responds to FairFuelUK APPG report

REA calls Fair Fuel APPG report “barely credible”: FairFuelUK respond.

The Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology’s (REA) have responded to a new report, What does the 2030 fossil fuelled new vehicle sales ban really mean to the economy, environment, and UK’s 37m drivers?, published by the Fair Fuel for UK Motorists and UK Hauliers APPG, saying it is “barely credible” and promotes “climate change denialism”.

FairFuelUK responded that a unified approach would be far more beneficial to the sectors, and the public, as a whole.

The REA went on to say that the report, described as ‘ground-breaking’ by its authors, seeks to undermine the UK’s transition to electric vehicles. Questionable figures provided include: ‘Even if 10,000 charging points were installed every single day between 1st January 2021 and the 31st of December 2030, that would still deliver under 10% as many charging points as vehicles needing to use that.’

The basis for this claim is unclear, but, if correct, it would mean that over 300 million electric vehicles would be on the UK’s roads. There are currently around 33 million registered cars in the UK today.

The REA says that, with transport being the largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions in the UK, a ‘do-nothing’ approach is simply not an option. It is considered that consumers will make the choice to switch to electric vehicles, with the cost and usability of the technology already accessible and rapidly improving.

There are also concerns about the effect of rising fuel poverty, but the recommendations put forward in the report will have little to no impact. Decarbonisation can help tackle this growing issue.

Dr Nina Skorupska CBE, CEO of Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (REA), said: “This ‘report’ is barely credible and not the ‘ground-breaking’ document as its authors would have you believe. The REA would not usually respond to fringe publications of this nature, but we cannot simply stand by and allow the peddling of misinformation.

“At the risk of being called a ‘fanatic’ by the report’s backers, the reality is climate change is happening. The effects are already starting to materialise all around us and we are out of time. We simply cannot do nothing.

“We are reducing emissions across all areas of UK society, but we have made limited progress when it comes to transport. Reports such as this have contributed to an amount of inaction that has made transport the largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions in the UK.

“Decades of high-value automotive innovation have resulted in electric vehicles emerging as the most viable like-for-like replacement to petrol and diesel cars. Not just in the UK, but across the world.

“The Government’s plans will not force all UK residents to drive an electric vehicle by 2030. The plans only cover brand new petrol and diesel vehicles, and new hybrid vehicles will still be available until 2035. Anyone who wants to purchase and drive a second-hand petrol or diesel vehicle after this point is free to do so.

“However, far from ‘rebelling against this madness’, we believe the overwhelming majority of consumers will make their own choice to switch to electric cars because:

• The technology is already able to meet the needs of the vast majority of UK motorists, and it is still improving rapidly;
  
• The UK has the most comprehensive public charging infrastructure network in Europe, and it is growing every day;
  
• Long before 2030, electric vehicles are forecasted to cost the same or even less than their petrol and diesel equivalent;
  
• The running costs are already lower because electricity is cheaper than petrol and diesel, and electricity prices are not dictated to us by foreign oil producers.

“In short, if certain people want to spend their time aiding climate change denialism then that’s their prerogative. However, our industry will continue to take its responsibilities seriously by tackling climate change, offering a better deal to consumers and securing a sustainable, innovative, world-leading car manufacturing industry in the UK.”

transportandenergy.com contacted Howard Cox, Founder of the FairFuelUK Campaign, for comment on the REA’s response, he said: “The anti-internal combustion engine alliance revert to type. They ignore the APPG’s constructive recommendations to work with all stakeholders, examine all sources of emissions and to allow clean fuel technology to dictate what we drive.

“They assume I am a climate change denier. How asinine, wrong they are and predictable of an insecure group who can only revert to personal attacks rather than work with the majority of the UK’s drivers, who are being asked to pay thousands of pounds of their hard earned income to pay for net zero based on emotive and an ill-informed green doctrine.”

“They ignore big-name, highly-respected politicians such as John Redwood, Steve Baker and Lord Lilley amongst many, who add their weight to supporting the content and recommendations in the report. These are politicos that have been elected to represent their constituents, and they do so because they know the APPG Report is supported by those who elected them.”

“It is hardly surprising that a renewable energy lobby group has taken indignation at our report, and that most serious people recognise that there are huge costs involved with decarbonising transport. The report offers some constructive solutions to protect consumers and lower emissions at the same time, without taking the drastic step of an outright ban. The REA completely ignore these laudable points.”

“How much are taxpayers going to have to pay for the policy of EVs and net zero? The idea that EVs are going to remain tax free is the REA’s denial that the government needs £40 billion from motoring taxation. EVs are currently tax free because they are being subsidised by taxpayers! Where are the REA’s solutions to replace the 4th largest income to the Treasury? Nowhere!”

“Isn’t it time, as I say to all green representatives in media interviews I’m put up against, such as Caroline Russel, Jeff Gazzard and many similar anti-motorist personnel, let’s work together to produce a long-term transport policy for all road users, including cyclists.

“Their response is always no, they are not willing to help UK’s 37m drivers by working with FairFuelUK. Sad but very true! Their disrespectful myopia is an insult to drivers across the UK! My offer to the REA is the same, let’s work on this aim together.”

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