Dear [xxx],
Thank you for contacting me with your concerns on the petrol and diesel ban, and electric vehicles.
It is important that we as a country take action to tackle climate change to help mitigate its effects, which include flooding, costal erosion and other issues caused by extreme weather. To play our part in tackling this global issue, the UK aims to eliminate our contribution to climate change and achieve net zero by 2050.
Bringing forward the end the sale of petrol and diesel cars and vans to 2030 and increasing the use of electric vehicles will play a crucial role in helping the UK to hit this ambitious, legally binding target.
The sale of new hybrid and plug-in hybrids will be able to continue until 2035.
Motorcycles can make a significant contribution to addressing our country’s transport and traffic issues. Indeed, they can reduce congestion and represent an affordable alternative to the car, delivering independence and mobility as well as broadening employment opportunities. The Government is investing in a plug-in motorcycle grant scheme, which is available for eligible zero emission motorcycles and mopeds across the UK.
Subject to consultation, all new motorcycles will have to be fully zero emissions at the tailpipe by 2035. I am assured that the Government will continue to support the transition with a package of financial and non-financial incentives. The Government recently sought opinions as to when the UK should stop selling new non-zero emission L-category vehicles, such as motorcycles, and I look forward to their response in due course.
I want to assure you that the Government is putting in place the infrastructure to facilitate the accelerated transition to electric vehicles – including public chargepoints, residential on-street chargepoints as well as rapid and smart chargepoints.
So far, government funding, alongside private sector investment, has supported the installation of more than 37,000 public electric vehicle charging devices, including over 6,000 rapid chargepoints – one of the largest networks in Europe. But there is much more to do. That is why I am glad that consumers will soon be able to compare costs across charging networks in a recognisable format similar to pence per litre for fuel and there will be new standards to ensure reliable charging for electric vehicle drivers.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
Yours sincerely,
Fay Jones MP
24th May 2023