Skip to main content

UK government launches new ultra low emission vehicles strategy

Transport Minister Norman Baker has launched the UK government’s strategy, Driving the future today - a strategy for ultra low emission vehicles in the UK, to drive forward the ultra low emission vehicles (ULEVs) industry. The new strategy signals a major change in the way vehicles will be powered in the future and reaffirms the government’s commitment to provide new opportunities for the motor industry to help grow the UK economy.
September 5, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
Transport Minister Norman Baker has launched the UK government’s strategy, Driving the future today - a strategy for ultra low emission vehicles in the UK, to drive forward the ultra low emission vehicles (ULEVs) industry.

The new strategy signals a major change in the way vehicles will be powered in the future and reaffirms the government’s commitment to provide new opportunities for the motor industry to help grow the UK economy.

The government’s long term strategic approach will deliver: a growing fleet of, and private markets for, ULEVs; a network of charging points and other infrastructure making ULEVs an attractive proposition; the development of world class skills and facilities for the development of ULEV technologies leading to global export; and a smarter electricity grid to benefit vehicle owners and the electricity system.

Norman Baker said: “These are exciting times for the motoring industry as ultra low emission vehicles are the future for road travel. Our vision is that by 2050 almost every car and van will be an ultra low emission vehicle with the UK at the forefront of their design, development and manufacture. This strategy moves us up a gear in pursuing that vision.”

The Office for Low Emission Vehicles is inviting industry to have a say through a call for evidence on how best to invest US$781 million of funding to drive the revolution and establish the UK as a premier market for ULEVs. The call for evidence will be launched shortly.

Business Minister Michael Fallon said: “The automotive industry provides thousands of high-quality jobs across the country and we are determined to keep it that way. By setting out the level of our financial support up to 2020 we are demonstrating our long-term commitment and giving business the confidence to invest. We will keep working in partnership with industry on where our investment can best drive growth as we support the transition to ultra low emission vehicles.”

Related Content

  • UK government: compulsory installation of EV charge points and insurance for AV drivers
    October 19, 2017
    Motorway services and large petrol retailers will have to install charge points for electric vehicles (EVs), under the UK Government's Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill, presented by transport minister John Hayes. In addition, official research estimates that the market for driverless vehicles will be worth £50 billion ($66 billion) by 2035. The bill will increase the access and availability of charge points for EVs, which will have to be ‘smart,' meaning that they can interact with the grid to manage
  • New chairman and fresh thinking at Ertico
    October 6, 2015
    Cees de Wijs, who was elected Chairman of Ertico ITS Europe in June, puts the Partnership and this ITS World Congress in context.
  • Launch of first London HyFive hydrogen refuelling station
    May 12, 2016
    ITM Power has opened its first public access hydrogen refuelling station in London at the National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, the first of three UK stations to be deployed as part of the pan European HyFive project, which was funded by the European Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCHJU) and the UK Government Office of Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV). Transport Minister Andrew Jones MP, who announced a US$2.8 million (£2 million) government fund to support the roll-out of hydrogen vehicles in
  • UK Police cars to trial hydrogen cars in zero emission project
    March 28, 2018
    Cars from the UK's Metropollitan police are set to be among nearly 200 new hydrogen powered vehicles switching to zero emission miles following an £8.8m ($12.4m) project funded by the Department of Transport (DoT). It is designed with the intention of improving access to hydrogen fuelling stations across the country and increasing the number of hydrogen cars on its roads from this Summer. The scheme is run by a consortium led by Element Energy whose members also include ITM Power, Shell, Toyota and