EVs could cause major issue that could cost billions, government report reveals
A GOVERNMENT report has revealed that EVs could cause a major issue that could cost the taxpayer billions.
The study from the Department for Transport found that the push towards electric cars combined with recent cutbacks on public transport projects may make a common irritation far worse.
The Department concluded that the lower maintenance needs of EVs could potentially lead to drivers covering more miles and, therefore, more traffic jams.
It also cited the “rebound effect” created by EVs being cheaper to charge than petrol cars are to fuel, which it “expects” to become the case in the near future.
That and the cancellation of the northern leg of HS2 may, according to the study, encourage more people to take to the roads more frequently and to cover larger distances.
The report estimated that this would add £78 billion to the cost of things like road maintenance over the next 50 years.
This is substantially higher than the previous prediction, released in March, of an already whopping £52 billion.
Mechanical engineer and political scientist Professor Andrew Graves of the University of Bath told The Telegraph that building new roads would not be an effective solution to the issue.
He claimed: “The more roads you build, the quicker you’ll fill them up.”
The news comes amid Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s decision to go ahead with the EV mandate, which sets major car brands strict targets for producing all-electric models.
Almost a quarter of new cars must be electric by next year, while a requirement of 80% will be imposed by 2030.
This is despite Mr Sunak’s announcement that he would delay the 2030 ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars to 2035.
A spokesperson for the Department for Transport said: “This report highlights that electric vehicles are cheaper to drive and that the Government is helping more people benefit from them.
“The analysis examines a number of scenarios, including no additional congestion, and clearly states there is no certain way to predict the impact on traffic.”
It comes after research from eBay found that this month’s fastest-selling used car was a hybrid that has been discontinued for three years.
Meanwhile, The Sun exclusively revealed that greedy petrol station bosses have been warned to lower pump prices or face ministers’ wrath in a major win for our Keep It Down campaign.
A number of MPs, including ministers, have also backed our calls for a new PumpWatch regulator to make sure cuts in fuel prices on the wholesale market are passed on to motorists.