BYD achieves best sales month of the year, overseas sales hit new high

More

Alpine A390 electric sport SUV revealed

More

All-new Nissan MICRA now fully-electric, on sale late 2025

More

All-new Toyota RAV4 makes worldwide debut

More

Truemag

  • Electric Car News
  • Electric Car Reviews
  • Plug-in Hybrids
  • Technology
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise
  • Charging Map

Could Politicians Derail The Electric Vehicle Market?

Boris-Johnson-EV
Even though the electric vehicle sector has made numerous attempts to hit the mass market over the last 100 years there is renewed optimism that the ongoing momentum for electric vehicles around the world will finally result in mass-market penetration. The initial rate of growth in electric vehicle sales is impressive, more and more automobile manufacturers are moving into the industry and the final piece of the jigsaw, in the shape of recharging networks around the world, is beginning to take shape. However, after comments by the Liberal Democrat party in the UK there are growing concerns that politicians could derail momentum behind the electric vehicle market.

On the surface the Liberal Democrat policy suggestion of banning private petrol/diesel vehicles from UK roads by 2040 seems positive for the electric vehicle industry but how would this go down with motorists in the UK?

LibDem policy

The forthcoming Liberal Democrat conference in Glasgow will see a number of new policy ideas debated by the wider Liberal Democrat party, one of which is the banning of private petrol/diesel vehicles from UK roads by 2040. The fact that the party seems willing to allow petrol/diesel freight transport after this time, vehicles which guzzle more gas than many private vehicles, will not make sense to the wider general public.

The UK coalition member party is also suggesting that tolls should be introduced for some of the U.K.’s more congested roads which would further increase the cost of travel for UK motorists. When you bear in mind the current government and previous governments have milked UK motorists for billions of pounds in tax on petrol, increased the road tax charge and they are now looking to introduce road tolls, what next?

Do not tell motorists what to do!

Over the last decade there has been tremendous success across the worldwide electric vehicle market with names such as Tesla Motors, Ford, General Motors, Chevrolet, Nissan, Toyota, BMW and an array of other automobile manufacturers joining the party. So far governments around the world have played a softly softly approach to the electric vehicle market, offering significant financial incentives but not penalising those who choose to drive petrol/diesel vehicles at this moment in time.

In many ways it has been a period of education for UK motorists, and motorists around the world, and perhaps the greatest success to date has been the fact that no government has dictated vehicle ownership policy to the wider public. However, the Liberal Democrat plans to ban petrol/diesel vehicles from UK roads by 2040 is certainly a lurch to the left and could undo all of the good work the UK government has done so far on this new journey for the electric vehicle industry.

Politics and environmental issues

Politics and environmental issues have never really sat comfortably together because on one hand we have governments taking taxes for an array of environmentally unfriendly activities while on the other hand they preach environmentally friendly policies. There is no doubt that the quickest ways to undo all of the work done by the electric vehicle industry over the last decade is to have politicians taking the lead and telling people what to do.

The fact that electric vehicle sales are now pushing ahead at record growth rates, prices are tumbling across the world and many expect mass-market penetration by 2017 shows that “if it is not broken, do not fix it”. It will be interesting to see whether the Liberal Democrat policy suggestion is taken up by the wider members at the Glasgow conference later this year because the negative headlines this would give to UK motorist, i.e., do as we say, not as we do, would be a disaster.

Conclusion

So far the political elite around the world have played the electric vehicle industry perfectly, offering incentives but sitting back and not dictating policy to the wider motoring public. Liberal Democrat plans to actually ban petrol/diesel vehicles from UK road by 2040 would be a disaster and have the potential to undo all of the good work of late. Much of the progress to date has been made because motorists have been given a choice, they have not been penalised financially or morally and they are now more willing than ever to consider electric vehicles as their future mode of transport.

Will politicians never learn?

Aug 7, 2013Mark Benson
More BMW i8 Details ReleasedThe Economics of Spark EV Ownership: Infographic
You Might Also Like
 
Renault Partners with RWE for Electric Car Project
 
Renault-Nissan and United Nations Partner on Electric Vehicles
Mark Benson

Keep in touch with Mark through his web site where you can discuss your questions and queries with the 5,400 strong EV community.

August 7, 2013 Electric Car Newselectric vehicle, Electric Vehicle Sales, electric vehicles
Follow Us
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • google-news
  • linkedin
  • youtube
  • instagram
  • pinterest
  • rss
Recent News
GM launches Cadillac LYRIQ-V in Europe
June 12, 2025
Hyundai Motor teases the all-new IONIQ 6 N
June 12, 2025
Renault 3 vision4rescue is an innovative demo-car supporting the emergency services
June 12, 2025
Xiaomi SU7 Ultra Shatters Electric Vehicle Lap Record at Nürburgring Nordschleife
June 12, 2025
BMW iX3 prototype review: pioneering technology meets pure driving pleasure
June 11, 2025
About
ElectricCarsReport.com ElectricCarsReport.com is a website dedicated to pure electric vehicles and the full range of consumer information and tools about electric cars, green technology energy, and the environment.
Latest News
GM launches Cadillac LYRIQ-V in Europe
June 12, 2025
Hyundai Motor teases the all-new IONIQ 6 N
June 12, 2025
Renault 3 vision4rescue is an innovative demo-car supporting the emergency services
June 12, 2025
Get in touch

Email: [email protected]

Get new stories by email:
Archives
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • google-news
  • linkedin
  • youtube
  • instagram
  • pinterest
  • rss
DMCA.com
© ElectricCarsReport.com | All Rights Reserved.