As the UK government’s 2030 ban on new pure-combustion cars approaches, questions are being raised about whether alternative fuel solutions also have a role to play in reducing transport emissions, alongside electrification.
A report by the Transport Select Committee recently accused the government of “putting all its eggs in one basket” by effectively mandating a widespread transition to battery-electric vehicles from 2035.
The report cited shortcomings in EV charging infrastructure and a shortage of raw materials, which may slow or prevent a smooth transition to EVs. “As the cliff edge of 2030 (2035, 2040 and 2050) approaches and minds are concentrated, reality will bite,” it said. The committee urged a “reality check” on the government’s transport strategy. “Addressing the existing [petrol and diesel] fleet will be decisive in achieving the UK’s climate goals,” it said.
Currently, the plan is to ban sales of all new pure-petrol and pure-diesel vehicles from 2030. Hybrids with an as yet undefined “significant zero-emission capability” get a five-year stay of execution, although this may change.
The European Parliament was set to follow a similar course. It almost passed an effective ban on new combustion-engined cars and commercial vehicles by requiring a 100% reduction in tailpipe CO2 emissions from 2035. However, Germany, Italy and other EU member states rebelled, successfully arguing the case for carbon-neutral fuels such as e-fuels, whose production methods are claimed to offset the carbon emissions from burning them.
Asked whether the UK would follow the EU and allow carbon-neutral ICE cars to remain on sale after 2030, energy secretary Grant Shapps told reporters it would not. “We’ve always been more forward-leaning on this stuff than the EU,” said Shapps.
There are serious concerns around manufacturing carbon-neutral fuels. As with fossil fuels, burning them produces poisonous carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide, which pose a health risk for local communities. In the case of e-fuels, there is a huge energy requirement to overcome in producing the necessary hydrogen.