Currently reading: New UK carbon budget to force further cuts in car CO2 emissions
Target of reducing emissions by 57% should encourage the electrification of vehicle ranges

The government is expected to reveal an ambitious new carbon budget later today that will encourage the electrification of vehicle ranges over the next two decades.

Reports suggest the budget will aim to reduce the country’s CO2 output by 57% by 2032, forcing industries across the UK to clean up their act and boost energy efficiency.

Around 20% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions (which includes CO2) come from road transport, with cars contributing to more than half of that figure. Pressure to further reduce the CO2 emissions of cars is likely to spur on the use of alternative powertrains.

This reduction will happen at a time when road traffic is predicted to increase by at least 19% between now and 2040, according to the latest RAC figures; leading experts to claim the electrification of vehicle ranges is the only viable long-term option.

Today’s target will be part of the UK’s fifth carbon budget, which falls under Parliament's 2008 Climate Change Act.

Similar pressure on car manufacturers to lower the CO2 output of their ranges has been felt elsewhere in Europe, with a German government official recently suggesting the country could ban the sale of combustion engined cars from 2030.

It seems German manufacturers have been quick to respond, with Volkswagen revealing it could produce two all-electric models by 2020, Mercedes announcing the launch of an all-new electric SUV and BMW electrifying more of its range, including an all-electric i8.

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Phil R 3 July 2016

@bowsersheepdog

Oh the irony of "electric cars which don't work" from the person that thinks the best car going is a Mini Metro.
bowsersheepdog 1 July 2016

Assault with batteries

It's disgraceful that our government is showing signs of giving in to pressure from left-wing loonies who want to force electric cars onto us to prevent us from having freedom of movement in the way we have enjoyed for the past century. By foisting on us electric cars which don't work they seek to inflict control over the population and allow us to move only where they permit us to go when they choose to permit it. By making people reliant on public transport the lefties are looking to take us back to the dark days of union domination, when lightning strikes left people stranded with no way of getting home. The useless electric cars are an integral part of their scheming and we must not accept it by buying them. If no other alternative is available we must stick with our old cars, which is more environmentally friendly than any electric rubbish anyway. Whatever power source is eventually good enough to replace the internal combustion engine, it won't be electricity. Electric cars are going nowhere.
bowsersheepdog 1 July 2016

Brilliant

Great to know that telling the spammer to f off triggers a profanity filter but there's nothing in place to prevent the spam from being posted, nor apparently to remove it after posting has occurred. Well done, Autocar, priorities in the right order there.