Clean transport: gathering speed

Government funding for electric vehicles is welcome but it needs to be backed up by policies that will encourage consumer take-up.

The announcement by business secretary Andrea Leadsom that the UK government will invest up to £1 billion in the automotive industry comes as the industry gears up to meet the challenge of delivering green technologies that cut carbon emissions. This pledge from the government shows further commitment to securing the UK’s position as a global leader in clean technologies – notably electric vehicles (EVs) – and meeting the 2050 net-zero emissions goal. This is good news, but plenty could still be done to meet the EV challenge head-on.

The government, automotive industry and consumers alike understand that EV technology is the future of vehicle transportation. This public funding will support R&D into EVs as well as back the manufacturing of batteries, electric motors and hydrogen fuel cells, and has been well received by industry. However, further policy measures would be welcomed to settle regulatory issues and drive consumer adoption.

To switch to a decarbonised vehicle transportation system, the government needs to partner with industry to develop a national EVCI network that cuts costs through economies of scale and provides industry-wide standards. While the interoperability of EVCI and EVs is inscribed in the law, genuine standardisation and interoperability have been missing on the ground – it is vital that this is settled to reassure potential EV owners about the convenience and reliability of the UK’s EVCI network.

From a regulatory perspective, various issues could be looked at to boost investments into EVCI and the efficiency of the wider EV sector, for example EV-to-grid (V2G) connectivity, whereby a charged EV can be used to help power a home – at present, it often results in vehicle warranties being annulled. Regulations to allow and encourage V2G connectivity could boost EV adoption and help reduce demand on the national grid. On a more macro-level, new rules should also clarify whether EVCI can be connected directly to power stations or transmission networks to maximise efficiency and reduce the impact of such infrastructure on the national grid.

Government funding is a crucial component for across-the-board adoption of clean technologies, but surmounting the challenge of shifting to a clean vehicle transportation system requires more than investment. The government has an important role to play in settling regulatory questions and working with the private sector to make a success of vehicle transformation. In doing so, EVs in the UK can gather speed and deliver on the country’s net-zero carbon emissions targets.