Government disinformation about electric vehicles – is Watt upset about it?

not many people know

Paul Homewood

Regarding the electric vehicle consultation, what I really want to comment on is the following serious false information:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/industry-encouraging-to-shape-uk-transition-to-zero-emission-vehicles

The consultation document is more specific:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/phasing-out-sales-of-new-petrol-and-diesel-cars-from-2030-and-supporting-the-zev-transition

The so-called “industrial research” does not come from the automotive industry at all, but from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU). To be more precise, this department should be called the “Disinformation Unit”. The link given takes us to their analysis.

ECIU analysis clearly shows that their petrol costs are based on petrol prices, including fuel duty and VAT:

A typical comparison is Zoe vs. Clio:

But after deducting fuel duty of 69.54p/litre (including VAT), the saving of £667 is reduced to just £167.

We also need to consider the fact that the VAT on petrol is 20%, while the VAT on electricity is only 5%. A 5% VAT on petrol would reduce the savings to around £100.

Of course, it is valid to quote the full savings listed by the ECIU in relation to the actual costs currently paid by drivers.

But the government did not do this. Instead, it deliberately claims that drivers will benefit from the transition to electric vehicles. But they know full well that when internal combustion engine cars are banned in 2030, the taxes collected from fuel taxes and fuel VAT will have to be raised from other sources. So motorists may benefit from cheaper charging but find these savings offset by on-road charging or some other revenue-generating scheme.

The government also ignores the fact that the cost of buying an electric car is much higher, erasing any small savings that might be made on fuel.

For example, the Zoe costs £4,400 more than the Clio.

If a business launches misleading advertising like this, they will come down hard with the Advertising Standards Authority.

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