Chris Grayling under fire as promise to boost electric cars backfires

[Morgen]

Chris Grayling has been accused of failing to back up his positive words on electric cars with action after it emerged they account for less than 2% of his department’s car fleet.

The UK transport secretary said the government would “lead consumer uptake” of the cars when he laid out his plan for tackling air pollution with a switch to battery-powered vehicles.

However, he has come under fire for subsequently scrapping grants for plug-in cars, in a move condemned by vehicle manufacturers as “astounding”. Now official figures have revealed that only 29 of the 1,830 vehicles run by Department for Transport and its agencies are electric.

Labour said it was “laughable” that two months ago Grayling had been “bragging” about the DfT’s plans to take on more electric vehicles.

“The Tories’ policies show how little they care about the environment and dealing with air pollution. Chris Grayling’s hypocrisy and failure to get his own department to order more low-emission vehicles is further proof of that,” said Andy McDonald, the shadow transport secretary.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Driver Vehicle and Standards Agency, which carries out driving tests, are the worst performers. Neither has a single electric model among their hundreds of cars.
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A DfT spokesperson said: “To suggest that the DfT immediately scrap all its non-electric vehicles would be a colossal waste of taxpayers’ money that would be wholly disproportionate to the environmental benefit it would bring.”

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/dec/27/chris-grayling-under-fire-as-promise-to-boost-electric-cars-backfires?CMP=share_btn_tw