A pledge to make the government’s fleet of cars all-electric by 2030 has been reinforced.
Plans to make the Government Car Service, managed by the Department for Transport, fully electric were revealed as part of the Road to Zero strategy last year. This is the same strategy which will eventually see a ban on the sale of all new petrol and diesel cars by 2040.
This commitment has been reiterated by transport secretary Chris Grayling in a letter sent to every government department. He said: “We want the UK to be the best place in the world to own an ultra-low emission vehicle, and as a government we have to lead by example. I am pleased with the change we are making to the Government Car Service, but this now needs to be reflected in all fleets that are controlled by government.”
Last week, the prime minister committed the UK to ending its net contribution to climate change by 2050, with Grayling adding: “It is absolutely vital that all parts of government play their part in delivering this ambitious target.”
The Government Car Service is said to be already “well on track” to meeting these targets, with almost 23 per cent of vehicles in use currently electric. Each department has also received guidance on how to move toward an electric fleet, with annually-published progress reports requested.
