A leading motor industry body has moved quickly to express dismay at the shock Government announcement that the ban on the sale of new petrol, diesel, and some hybrid vehicles will be bought forward by five years to 2035.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has expressed concern that the announcement will only add to the confusion both for the industry and for motorists - especially as the Government plans to end its Plug-in Car Grant in just two month’s time - accusing it of “moving the goalposts”.
The organisation’s Chief Executive, Mike Hawes, insisted his members “are fully invested in a zero emissions future, with some 60 plug-in models now on the market and 34 more coming in 2020. It’s clear that accelerating an already very challenging ambition will take more than industry investment, yet we still don’t have clarity on the future of the plug-in car grant while the UK’s charging network is still woefully inadequate.
So we therefore need to hear how government plans to fulfil its ambitions in a sustainable way, one that safeguards industry and jobs, allows people from all income groups and regions to adapt and benefit, and, crucially, does not undermine sales of today’s low emission technologies, including popular hybrids, all of which are essential to deliver air quality and climate change goals now.”
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