Excuse me, did the Government say something? Was it joined up speech?
No? OK, situation normal, then.
I mean, you can’t really make this up: the Government wants us to head up the road to 70% ultra low emission cars by 2030 as announced in its Road to Zero Strategy. This was launched in July this year.
I was impressed. At last some adult thinking about transport from the Government.
And then three months later, almost to the day, the Government takes away support for plug-in electric hybrid (PHEV) vehicles at the knees. And reduces the amount of grant available to electric cars by £1,000.
My staff looked a little perplexed to find me in a foetal position, silently screaming as I pummelled the floor when I read this.
I mean. I mean… Forgive me, I’m struggling here.
But perhaps it’s just the precursor to a brilliant announcement in the Budget that actively encourages zero and ultra low emission vehicles by radically rethinking the company car tax banding system.
That would be good. But who knows?
This Government blunders around; makes surprise announcements; fails to communicate or consult properly with the industry.
How can we share a coherent strategy with fleet customers when we have to second-guess the Government’s scrambled thinking?
Here’s an example. Government bashed diesel to within an inch of its life last year. It was fingered for every harmful emission in the air without considering the whole picture (CO2 reductions for one).
The fuel is now lying bleeding in the gutter – a 31% slump in sales year on year (September registrations 2018, source SMMT). Fleets and private individuals started jumping out of diesel into petrol. Oh, and guess what, CO2 emissions have risen…
The Government tried to put a tourniquet on diesel to staunch the bleed – in the Road to Zero Strategy the Government changed its position: suddenly diesel did have a role to play in the road to lower emissions.
It’s like a West End farce stage instruction: [Government figure enters stage rear; reconnects right hand with left hand; exits stage left, stumbling….]
And now PHEVs. Surely the bridge, the connecting point, the crackling synapse between the internal combustion engine and an electrified future.
The sort of technology that allows a cautious and curious public to investigate electrification but secure in the knowledge there may be no range problems.
Company car drivers and the public might be unjustified in this opinion but it matters not. Range, infrastructure… just the change from petrol or diesel, all prey on an unconvinced, uncertain public mindset.
A public mindset made even more insecure by inept and confused messaging from the Government.
But let me reiterate one thing while I try to steady my dizzied mind. Our policy, our guidance, our best advice for fleets remains this:
The Government may have left us all confused – but ultimately, I think our fleet thinking is the same.
It’s just that the Government has lobbed a few more potholes and barriers on that road to ultra low emissions.
Excuse me, did the Government say something? Was it joined up speech? No? OK, situation normal, then. I mean, you can’t really make this up: the Government wants us to head up the road to 70% ultra low emission cars by 2030 as announced in its Road to Zero Strategy. This was launched in July this … Continued
It’s difficult to resist the lure of the Paris Motor Show. It’s as much about the atmosphere around the show as the cars showcased within it. French coffee; steak and frites; the odd beer or glass of red wine – the beautiful architecture of the French capital. All these things make the French biennial car … Continued
You know, I really don’t like to be much of a follower… but in this case, I am. I’m following Grant in going green. You might recall that Grant Boardman, our Client Services Director, wrote in a blog that he was going green – ditching his Land Rover Discovery Diesel for a plug-in hybrid Volvo … Continued
If you thought driverless cars were still some way off…well have a look at this! A driverless pod that has virtual eyes that see – well – eye to eye with you! The idea, according to Jaguar Land Rover, is to help other road users ‘understand’ the car’s intent. Without a driver at the wheel. … Continued
I found this report from Arval in my daily reading this week: it said that UK fleets were ahead of the game in adopting hybrid technology. Whether hybrid or plug-in hybrid, UK fleets were at the head of a table compared with 12 other European countries. The research came from Arval’s respected Corporate Vehicle Observatory … Continued
Imagine driving your electric car into a fuel station. You avoid the petrol and diesel pumps. Obviously. And glide silently (you’re an EV don’t forget) towards the ‘electric fuel’ pump. In about the same time that it’s taken your fellow motorists at the traditional pumps to refuel you have replenished the fuel in your battery. … Continued
Geraint Thomas winning cycling’s greatest race – the Tour de France – is something to celebrate. The Welshman becomes only the third Brit to win one of the most prestigious and gruelling events out there. But there’s more yet to be celebrated. With Thomas there seems to be no swagger, no requirement to massage … Continued
Just when you thought the Government, currently derailed by Brexit, had totally given up on the fleet industry – it publishes a new document. Called the The Road to Zero, it signposts the steps towards a zero emission future for both cars and vans. But what was impressive about this document was not simply the … Continued
If the diesel engine were taking part in the current World Cup, it wouldn’t be likened to any of the players. No. It would be that round ball, in the middle, getting kicked around, picked out of the netting after another Harry Kane goal, before being leathered around once more. Diesel has been made the … Continued
What did you do for Clean Air Day? (It was June 21, 2018 by the way.) Here at Fleet Alliance we were walking or cycling to work where it was practical. Because pollution is a real problem – it affects the air around us, and is responsible for a variety of respiratory diseases. Air pollution comes from … Continued