Innovative agenda provokes discussion at Transport + Energy Forum
With a packed agenda which sets the event apart from others, the T+E Forum at Warwick Conferences opened up a diverse debate both in and out of the conference room.
With Jaguar Land Rover topping the news agenda during the conference, Murray Paul Public Affairs Director for JLR’s Fireside Chat with Quentin Willson took a diversion to discover more about the re-brand and concept car launch, which Willson said had “broken the internet”.
Paul said the rebrand was about reaching a newer, younger demographic, which was into arts and music, and trying to dispel the concept of a Jaguar as “your dad’s car”.
Having been directly involved with recent roundtable discussions with government in relation to the ZEV mandate, Paul said that “no one in the meeting asked for regulations to change” and that the “challenge was with demand”.
He said that government “accepted” the calls from the motor manufacturers that the stick approach only got you so far, and that the industry “needs carrots as well”.
Getting the conversations going
Collaboration is one of the keystones of the forum, with 60 fully funded places for local councils ensuring quality conversations between the public and private sectors.
Conversations with Councils session, lead and introduced by Chris Rimmer from Cenex and Amy Rushton from Suffolk County Council brought the whole room together in roundtable discussions to discuss practical solutions for building transport decarbonisation infrastructure in local authorities.
Industry associations driving change in transport and energy
Leaders from ChargeUK, Energy Networks Association, REA and BVRLA joined forces in a panel session, to discuss the role of trade associations in shaping policies, fostering collaboration, and driving progress.
The session underscored the importance of unified industry efforts in achieving decarbonisation goals.
To regulate or not to regulate
An Oxford Debate tackled the hot topic of regulation, with expert insights from Juiet Flamank, Green Finance Institute, Sukky Choongh, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and Chris Ashley, Road Haulage Association (RHA).
Sukky Choongh debated in favour of regulation, while Chris Ashley argued for a path without regulation. At the start of the debate, most of the audience were in favour of regulation, with the final vote resulting in a higher percentage for regulation.
Ensuring the EV transition is inclusive and accessible
Jonathan Jenkins, Head of Innovation at Motability Operations, delivered an insightful presentation and important reminder on how we should, and can, make sure the shift to electric vehicles does not leave anyone behind.
National Grid’s decarbonisation priorities
Outlining its decarbonisation plans, National Grid told the forum that transport was “core to our strategic priorities”.
Senior decarbonisation strategy manager Niki Kesharaju said that “currently we are still very fossil fuel dependant” and to drive forward decarbonisation of transport would “require customer engagement”.
Highlighting the challenges around electric vehicles, Kesharaju specifically pointed to the electrification of eHGVs and vans where it was “not quite so clear” what the path was going to be yet.
In addition, she explained how there was also the important case of maritime transport, and strategies for some of the harder to reach sectors of transport would “stretch well beyond 2050”.
The AA reveals new statistics
The proportion of electric vehicles running out of charge this year in the UK has dropped to the lowest ever, according to new AA statistical analysis revealed at the forum.
The latest figures were shown by the AA president Edmund King OBE, and when calculated as a percentage of all EV breakdowns, a record low was announced for 2024 of less than 2% (1.85%). The rolling 12-month figure for 2023 was 2.26%.
Celebrating industry achievement
On the evening of the Forum, the Transport + Energy Awards dinner celebrated innovation, collaboration and excellence in the sectors with the presentation of ten awards, with over 200 attendees.
Watch the highlights from the Transport + Energy Forum 2024:
The next Transport + Energy Forum and Awards will take place on 20 November 2025.