It was observed that waiting times for BEVs had declined in the last year, indicating that supply was on a positive trajectory towards meeting growing demand. Earlier this year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency released their new rules for US-based car manufacturers’ fuel economy standards. We are working closely with the disability and transport charity Motability in the preliminary stages of this consultation to develop clear accessibility standards and will continue to do so going forward. Electric motors are uniquely efficient at low speeds and going from stop to start. While the Prius is available in ‘full’ hybrid and plug-in hybrid forms, the Ioniq adds a third model to the line-up – a fully Battery Prius-powered Hyundai Ioniq Electric. While they provide significant emissions savings, these savings can vary between different fuels. This hybrid can go from 0 to 60 miles in an impressive 7.1 seconds. The Avalon Hybrid is the highest-priced car on the list, but it’s also the most luxurious. It’s an eager performer and very comfortable, with an excellent cabin. In September 2020, we outlined plans for a cross-sectoral hydrogen strategy, which will set out an action plan for decarbonisation and expansion in the 2020s, most notably how we will continue to support the scale up of low carbon hydrogen production and stimulate demand.
We agree that low carbon fuels have an important role to play in emission reduction across the transport sector, and will set out more details of our plans to support low carbon fuels to decarbonise the existing fleet of ICE vehicles in the forthcoming transport decarbonisation plan. You may have heard phrases such as self-charging hybrid, plug-in hybrid and PHEV, but what do they actually mean and, more importantly, which hybrid is the right one to suit you? The current tax law for hybrid cars allows for a credit when you buy an electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle. Some environmental NGOs and energy companies suggested that vehicle supply would not be an issue. Concerns were raised about vehicle manufacturers’ ability to provide an adequate supply of ZEVs to sustain the new car and van markets following the end of the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles. Government will play its part, however, with investment, regulation and other policy levers, to support mass adoption of ZEVs. For this section, the government response follows each topic.
There are also more government incentive programs that use credits and special discounts to support the purchase and use of hybrid vehicles. These cars may change from time to time, but no matter what, there are people out there who aren’t beneath stealing your vehicle. Change on this scale inevitably brings numerous challenges, as the responses and dialogue during the consultation period have made clear. Despite agreement between us and the automotive sector that we must achieve net zero carbon emissions, several respondents thought that the scale and pace of the change would have adverse impacts on the industry. Although the parts originally manufactured must be looked upon when ever there is a possibility of a change and replacement of even a single small part needs to be replaced. However, some respondents stated that declining investment in the incumbent technology is a natural part of the transformation of the automotive industry, which is investing billions in electrification. However, for new cars and vans sold from 2035 onwards, our view is that low carbon fuels cannot be used as part of meeting the zero emissions from the tailpipe requirement. Low carbon fuels can still contribute to poor air quality via tailpipe emissions in towns and cities, in contrast to the improvement in air quality expected from wider ZEV uptake.
We are clear the end point must be zero emission, but we recognise the benefits of a range of different types of advanced technologies that are not zero emission at the tailpipe in reducing emissions of new vehicles in the lead up to the 2035 phase out date. These respondents cited the CCC 2020 progress report which recommended more ambitious regulations on car and van carbon emissions up to 2030, suggesting that this could help provide certainty to manufacturers on the extent of the supply transition required by industry to reach an earlier phase out date. With a continuous increase in the price of gasoline, more and more people are turning towards hybrid cars. We will assume that the price of a gallon of gas is $2.50 for regular and that you drive 15,000 miles per year. Your concerns lie far beyond the sticker price. In their 2019 progress report, the CCC gave support for the development of a hydrogen economy for energy-dense transport applications, such as for powering HGVs. It was observed that the product development cycle of vehicles is around 6 years, meaning that bringing forward the phase out date by 5 years or more would have a significant impact on the business plans of vehicle manufacturers.