Motoring industry left ‘high and dry’ on delay to 2030 pledge

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “This announcement has only served to remove trust and confidence in the UK market.” Another industry leader, the RAC Foundation, said the change contradicted the “huge sums of money” that the Government has already spent on electric battery production. Steve Gooding, director of the transport research organisation, said: “It is hard to understand the rationale for the Prime Minister’s decision to delay the ban on sale of petrol and diesel cars by five years – what message does taking his foot off the gas in this way send to an auto industry that was confident of its ability to hit the 2030 deadline on the basis of a clear and consistent regulatory regime? “Be they motorists or not, taxpayers might wonder how back-pedalling on the switch to electric cars can be consistent with the Government having put huge sums of public money on the table to support battery production.” Be they motorists or not, taxpayers might wonder how back-pedalling on the switch to electric cars can be consistent with the Government having put huge sums of public money on the table to support battery production Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation He said that RAC research estimated that if the UK is to meet its carbon reduction obligations then at least 37% of all miles driven by cars, taxis and vans will need to be zero emission by 2030. She said: “Instead, we get ever more uncertainty for workers, industry and consumers from a government that deals in piecemeal policies delivered on the hoof.” The only people who will complain about this delay are the central London eco-zealots who do not live in the real world and are rich enough not to be affected Karl McCartney MP Tory MP for Lincoln Karl McCartney described Rishi Sunak’s reported plans as “the common-sense decision”.