LowCVP response to Government's TransportEnergy Consultation

Thu 28 October 2004 View all news

Government-funded grant schemes have a role to play in encouraging market transformation and increasing uptake of low carbon vehicle and fuel technologies.

However, with limited budgets it is unrealistic to expect grant schemes alone to stimulate a market transformation on the scale desired. These are the main conclusions of the LowCVP response to the Govenment consultation on the TransportEnergy programmes.

Funds should be focused at both the sectors and stages of development of the market for low carbon vehicles, rather than concerned with short-term savings. Programmes should also be integrated with broader strategies, including the provision of education and advice to fleet managers, local authorities and the general public.

The LowCVP response also says that schemes must be sufficiently resourced and structured to ensure that suppliers have confidence over grant availability for a set period of time.

LowCVP believes that additional resources and stronger policy signals are needed to facilitate market transformation. Possible measures could include tax incentives to promote the purchase of low carbon vehicles; greater fuel tax differentials; consumer/market information campaigns; introducing low emission zone or congestion/road-user charging schemes that discount the use of low carbon vehicles.  

The full LowCVP consultation response is downloadable from the website, as below.

Related Links

LowCVP consultation response



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