The Government commitment to end the sale of new petrol and
diesel cars and vans by 2030 could deliver significant carbon
savings towards its target to bring all greenhouse gas emissions
to net zero by 2050.
To support the transition to electric vehicles, ministers have
committed up to £1 billion to support the electrification of UK
vehicles and their supply chains. A further £1.3bn has been
committed to accelerate the roll out of charging infrastructure
and installing more on-street chargers near homes and workplaces.
Meanwhile, the £40 billion annual income from Fuel Duty and
Vehicle Excise Duty is likely to decline sharply. The Government
has said the tax system will need to encourage the update of
electric vehicles and that revenue from motoring taxes will need
to keep pace with the changes.
In this new inquiry, the Transport Committee will consider the
implications of accelerating the shift to zero emission vehicles,
including bus and freight vehicles, and the case for introducing
some form of road pricing.
The Committee will explore whether road pricing or
‘pay-as-you-drive’ schemes can offer a revenue-raising solution,
while considering the practicalities of different schemes, the
level of public support for them, and best practice from other
countries.
The Transport Committee was one of the six commissioning
committees behind the first UK-wide Climate Assembly, which
published its report in September 2020. The Assembly put the
emphasis on moving to electric vehicles and improving public
transport rather than large reductions in car use. It also called
for solutions which are accessible and affordable to all sections
of society.
The Committee invites written evidence on the following terms of
reference by 17 February, 2021.
Accelerating the shift to zero emission vehicles
- The feasibility, opportunities, and
challenges presented by the acceleration of the ban of the sale
of new petrol and diesel vehicles to 2030;
- The actions required by Government and
private operators to encourage greater uptake of electric
vehicles and the infrastructure required to support them;
- The particular challenges around
decarbonising buses and how these should be addressed;
- The Government’s ambition to phase out the
sale of new diesel heavy goods vehicles, including the scope to
use hydrogen as an alternative fuel.
Road pricing
- The case for introducing some form of road
pricing and the economic, fiscal, environmental and social
impacts of doing so;
- Which particular road pricing or
pay-as-you-drive schemes would be most appropriate for the UK
context and the practicalities of implementing such schemes;
- The level of public support for road
pricing and how the views of the public need to be considered in
the development of any road pricing scheme;
- The lessons to be learned from other
countries who are seeking to decarbonise road transport and/or
utilise forms of road pricing.
