Stuart Rowley, the boss of Ford in Europe, has expressed concerns over the petrol and diesel car ban, and the possibility of bringing it forward to 2032.
In an interview on Radio 5 live’s Wake Up To Money, Mr Rowley highlighted a number of issues with the push for an all-electric car market. These included infrastructure, required investment and the collaboration required between industry, government, local authorities and consumers.
He also spoke out in support of plug-in hybrids, saying “They can be an important part of the technology mix”.
The Department for Transport was critical of plug-in hybrids in a statement, highlighting that they’re not always used in zero-emission mode, if at all. We recently reported on how plug-in hybrids can use up to three times the fuel stated by official figures when the plug-in facility isn’t fully utilised.
This is why, the government says, it’s including them in the ban. Industry experts warn that this has compromised an important stepping stone for buyers on the road to zero-emission motoring.
“Whether we are going to achieve 2035 or 2032, it’s going to require huge investment and for us to work together as an industry, the government, cities and consumers to make this transition,” Rowley said.
“Today very few people have the ability to charge an electric vehicle, whether it be at home or whether it be in public places. The investment in the infrastructure is going to be critical, that requires government investment, cities to organise for that, and people to be able to install charging in their homes.”
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“We’re putting 1,000 charging facilities at our plants and offices, and we’re going to need to see more across the country, not just in the big cities.”
The gulf in distribution of electric car chargers is a real issue. London, for instance, is home to 25 percent of the 10,800 electric charging locations in the UK. Meanwhile, Wales hosts just three percent of chargers at present.