According to Sky News, there will be no new diesel or petrol heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) sold after 2040. This is part of a government plan to decarbonise the transport sector and was condemned by the Road Haulage Association. The delayed plan is primarily structured to cut pollution in the UK transport sector to have net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
It was announced on Wednesday by the UK Government that the sale of smaller trucks would be banned from 2035, and larger ones weighing more than 26 tonnes from 2040. Initially the plan was meant to take place from 2030, with the ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans from 2030, and hybrid vehicles from 2035.
Is This Realistic?
According to Rod McKenzie, the Managing Director of Road Haulage Association announced that alternative technologies like hydrogenand electricity are either too expensive or don’t provide enough range. He also commented ‘This proposal is unrealistic. Alternative HGVs don’t yet exist.”
Other EV Transportation On The Rise – Bus Market
As per the latest research by Global Market Insights, Inc., the global electric bus market size is estimated to surpass USD 53 billion by 2027. In January 2021, Proterra Inc., a major player in the global electric bus market, agreed to go public by means of a merger with ArcLight Clean Transition Corp, joining numerous electric vehicle makers in a transaction that was valued at $1.6 billion, comprising debt.
The agreement will offer the U.S. electric bus manufacturer a sum of $648 million in cash and another sum of $415 million from investors comprising Fidelity Management, Daimler Trucks, funds managed by BlackRock Inc., Franklin Templeton, and venture investor Chamath Palihapitiya.
Similar advancements are expected to foster an increase in electric bus projects through the forthcoming years. This escalation is ascribed to the strict emission regulations imposed by government authorities comprising the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). For exemplar, EPA’s vehicle greenhouse gas rules will help in the elimination of nearly six billion metric tons of greenhouse gas pollution by 2025.
By Amy Leary
