Warning over emission targets

Published on Monday 25 May 2009 18:59

THE government cannot meet its vehicle emission targets by simply promoting the use of electric cars, a report by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) said today.

It added the government should bring forward its offer of a 5,000 subsidy for buying electric cars from 2011 to 2010.

With the right investment and planning, IMechE said it believed engineers could create cars that emit just 30g of carbon dioxide per kilometre by 2050.

The report said this 2050 target is the one that the government should use instead of its 100g/km by 2020 target, and would be achievable if it was set immediately.

The report adds: "This will allow sufficient time for industry to plan and develop the technologies thereby helping to secure a successful future for the UK automotive industry."

The report's five recommended technologies are hybrid, fuel cell, hydrogen, battery-only electric cars – and advanced petrol and diesel.

IMechE automotive division chairman Richard Folkson said: "

(The government] seem to be saying it must be electric cars and we are being forced down that route. We are telling the government to set the targets but leave the engineers to figure out how it can be done. Electric cars alone will not be the answer."