Select a region
Banning new hybrid cars after 2030 could actually add more carbon to the atmosphere than it removes, according to an experienced member of Jersey’s motor trade.
Miles Jude, manager director at Derek Warwick Honda, where he has worked for more than 30 years, said that while the move away from fossil-fuel-burning cars was inevitable, it would be premature to ban the sale of cars that have both an electric motor and a petrol engine.
He also questioned whether subsidising the purchase of electric vehicles was a sensible use of Government money, when manufacturers were moving to all-electric ranges anyway.
In its recently published Carbon Neutral Roadmap, the Government outlined its plan to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, in line with the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which the island has signed up to.
Pictured: The importation and registration of new petrol and diesel cars is set to be banned from 2030 under Government proposals.
One of its policies is to end the importation and registration of new petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030. It also proposes subsidising the purchase of electric vehicles and offering a £500 ‘green credit’ for scrapping an old petrol or diesel car.
Mr Jude said: “I’d argue that banning all new and used importations is the wrong thing to do because if you have a low-polluting hybrid, it may be more beneficial than buying an electric vehicle.
“For example, we have a Honda Jazz that returns 80 miles to the gallon, and by 2030 that could be up to 100 miles, especially if synthetic fuels continue to improve, which they will.
“If someone like my mum only drives 1,000 miles a year in a hybrid car using synthetic fuel, then it will have a lower carbon footprint than buying a new electric car. If she does purchase one, then it will have a bigger footprint than her hybrid before it’s even rolled out of the factory.”
Mr Jude said he agreed that older hybrids could not be exempted from the ban but a modern, self-charging hybrid should be allowed to be purchased.
He also questioned the effectiveness of the planned subsidy; the Government is proposing to pay up to a £3,500 subsidy on electric vehicles under £30,000, with the incentive reducing as the cost of the vehicle does.
“The industry is naturally moving towards all-electric anyway, so intervention seems a bit pointless,” he said.
Pictured: The Carbon Neutral Roadmap includes a proposal for a £500 ‘green credit‘ for scrapping an old car.
The idea to give a £500 ‘green credit’ to be spent on such things as solar panels, an electric bike or a bus pass in exchange for scrapping an (at least) ten-year-old car was also questioned by Mr Jude.
“Not everyone scrapping a low value car for a £500 credit is going to replace it with an electric one and there is a danger that there will be an unofficial market in scrapping cars without formally changing the ownership,” he warned.
Despite his observations about Jersey’s plan, Mr Jude said that an all-electric future was inevitable as manufacturers already had firm plans to stop diesel- and petrol-vehicle production.
“By 2030, we will not see a new car sold with a diesel engine,” he said. “Eventually, the range of electric cars should be enough for long-distance journeys and batteries will charge in, say, 20 minutes, but that will come at a cost. Of course, we also have to consider the cobalt and lithium that is mined to create these batteries."
He added: “Obviously, in Jersey range is not as important and electric cars generally work well; however, there is a danger that some people could rush to buy a fossil fuel car while they still can.”
The Government’s Carbon Neutral Roadmap is currently out for public consultation until the end of the month. It will then be debated by the States before it becomes official policy.
It sets out what everyone in Jersey will have to do between before 2050 to reduce the island’s carbon emissions and proposes clearer policies between now and 2026.
As well as the transport initiatives, it envisages a ban on new oil and gas boiler installations, developing zero-carbon building standards, introducing mandatory Energy Performance Certificates for new and rented properties, and promoting green investment in the finance industry.
Comments
Comments on this story express the views of the commentator only, not Bailiwick Publishing. We are unable to guarantee the accuracy of any of those comments.