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BIK banding unlikely to change

  • Transport chief states BIK bands unlikely to change
  • Government say electric cars still the way forward
  • Manufacture will become more sustainable over time

Written by Parkers Published: 13 December 2010 Updated: 1 February 2017

BIK bands for electric cars won't change for the foreseeable future.

Although many campaigners would like to see taxing adjusted to take in the CO2 emissions for the whole life of the car (i.e. the emissions during the build and during the creation of electricity for the national grid), the government is looking further forward and isn't intending on reviewing the system any time soon.

When talking to sister publication Fleet News, under-secretary of state for Transport Norman Baker said: "[The current system] does reflect the new technologies in that if you have an electric vehicle then the emissions are lower, but we are not wedded to that particular matrix forever. We will have to look at it in years to come but it's probably got 10 years' life in it."

Although it is the case now that electric cars do cause unacceptably high emissions during their manufacture, this won't always be the case.

When quizzed about whether other forms of low-carbon propulsion would work better, Baker said: "CNG, LPG and biofuels can reduce carbon emissions; electric cars have the potential to remove it altogether.

"If we are looking at a 50% cut in carbon emissions by 2050, which is a huge, huge challenge, we have to de-carbonise transport entirely," he said. "Electric cars offer that opportunity in a way which the others don't. The other alternatives offer help along the way to fill the gap but not the final solution."