The UK Parliament’s Transport Committee has launched a new inquiry into how the government can accelerate the country’s transition to widespread use of electric vehicles (EV).
The launch follows an announcement in the Autumn Budget that a new mileage-based fee will apply to battery-electric and plug-in-hybrid cars from April 2028, called the Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED).
This inquiry comes against the backdrop of manufacturers being mandated to end the sale of new pure petrol or diesel cars by 2030. By 2035 all new cars sold will have to be zero-emission.
Ministers also set an end to the sale of new pure petrol and diesel vans by 2035. These targets are part of the Government’s policy to achieve net-zero carbon emissions across the whole economy by 2050.
The Committee will examine what the impacts of the eVED charges might be, and how the Government can tackle issues that may be putting the brakes on the transition to EVs and affecting consumer confidence, including affordability of vehicles and charging. MPs will look at the rollout and availability of charging infrastructure in different parts of the country.
Transport Committee Chair Ruth Cadbury MP said:
“Are we really en route to a petrol and diesel-free future on Britain’s roads? After a major intervention in the Budget, this Committee will look under the bonnet at the Government’s policies to steer us through this period of major change to the way millions of us get around from day to day.
“We will kick the tyres and see what can be done to jump start the rollout of charging infrastructure and ask how else government could remove barriers to broader uptake of EVs and incentivise their use.
“We now welcome written evidence submissions from industry experts, researchers and others to help inform our journey through this inquiry.”
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