Going Green (From Echo)

Going Green

12:47pm Friday 5th June 2009 in Cars

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) has said.

It said the Government should bring forward a year its offer from 2011, of a £5,000 subsidy for the buyers of electric cars.

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

The report believes this 2050 target is what Government should use instead of its 100g/km by 2020 target.

The institution said it believed a 30g figure was achievable if this target is set immediately.

The report added: “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, which currently employs 850,000 people and has a turnover of £50billion."

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

IMechE automotive division chairman Richard Folkson said: “This report has been written because we have felt the Government has given us no choice.”