Collaboration and cooperation was the key theme today at our flagship Electrified event, and it was a real pleasure for me to see first-hand how quickly the Race to Zero – where cars are often the focus – has accelerated through the CV sector. In addition to passenger vehicles, we also had three vans, two trucks and a bus – all EVs, all on the road together: a clear demonstration of how the industry is changing and investing in the future.
Today SMMT has unveiled a blueprint to deliver greater retail uptake – calling for government and stakeholders to prioritise overcoming consumer concerns through fairer incentives and a commitment to a dramatically expanded public charging infrastructure. Whether the answer is electric, hydrogen, biomethane or any other alternative fuel, the biggest obstacle to overcome is the same for all if we are to meet our Net Zero ambitions: we need a charging and refuelling network across the country that will support both fleet operators and sole traders and their business needs. As ever, fleet renewal decisions rely on profitability and operators need the confidence to invest in new technologies.
