fleets
Released alongside the Pre-Budget Report (click
here for more details) was the first part of the King review,
an investigation by Professor Julia King of Aston University into
the future of low-carbon transport.
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The review is a follow-up to the Stern review, which looked into
the possible economic effects of global warming. The King review
has caused waves by its prediction that it is possible to achieve
“almost complete decarbonisation of road transport” in developed
countries by 2050, a 50 per cent reduction in emissions per mile
driven in 2030 compared with levels in 2000, and a 30 per cent
reduction in CO2 emissions compared with today’s levels “within 10
years”.
The technology needed to make this cut will cost around
£1,000-£1,500 per car – although whether carbuyers will be prepared
to pay this is another question.
King said the cuts in emissions were likely to come from a
switch to a combination of battery-electric hybrids, including
plug-in models, and biofuel – although she warned that adoption of
biofuels must be approached “with caution”, as global deforestation
contributes more to carbon emissions than the total global
contribution from transport. In the long term, hydrogen and
electric-powered vehicles “are a probability”, King noted.
The implications for fleets are less clear. While business car
users will have a large part to play in cutting emissions, the
report did not provide many clear instructions for fleets. It
limited itself to saying: “environmental responsibility is closely
aligned with corporate responsibility”, and that “fleets are often
in a good position to adopt new technologies as they can benefit
from economies of scale in procurement and maintenance.”
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By GlobalDataThe second part of the King review – and the government’s
response to it – may contain more practical advice for
fleets.
