PM launches UN climate summit in UK - AA comments

Commenting on the announcement by the Prime Minister on bringing forward the ban of new combustion vehicle sales from 2040 to 2035, Edmund King, AA president, said: “Drivers support measures to clean up air quality and reduce CO2 emissions but these stretched targets are incredibly challenging. We must question whether we will have a sufficient supply of a full cross section of zero emissions vehicles in less than fifteen years.

“We will also need a package of grants coupled with a comprehensive charging infrastructure at homes and in towns, cities, motorways and rural locations. At the very least the Government should take up the AA demand to cut VAT on new EVs to boost sales and make vehicles more affordable to those on lower incomes. 

“Manufacturers are also spending billions on developing state of the art hybrids which are zero emissions for many journeys but these will also be excluded from sale. This seems a very backward step that could backfire by encouraging drivers to hold onto older more polluting vehicles for longer.”