1:19 pm, January 12, 2023
The Scottish government has been left red-faced after an embarrassing blunder in its flagship energy strategy incorrectly suggested that the ban on selling new petrol and diesel cars had been pushed back.
The Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, published yesterday, said that the ban would come into place from 2032 – two years longer than previously stated.
Several key figures picked up on the error and incorrectly believed that the policy, which also applies in the rest of the UK, had been pushed back north of the border.
Among those to come out in support of the apparent change was Vertu CEO Robert Forrester who tweeted that the move had been ‘inevitable’ and asked whether England would follow suit.
However, the government had to later admit it had made an error.
Confirming its mistake, the Scottish Government posted on its website: ‘Some of the text of the (draft ESJTP) contained an incorrect reference to phase out dates for petrol and diesel cars and vans.
‘This error affected the Ministerial Foreword page 3, bullet point 6, and Figure 9 on Page 21.
‘The wording has been reviewed and revised as necessary to reflect the correct commitment to phase out the need for new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030, rather than 2032.’
Also included in the original document were the Scottish Government’s plans for improving the country’s current charging network.
The headline policy was the launch of a new £60m Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund to ‘help achieve the charging connectivity Scotland needs for the future’.
‘As outlined in the Programme for Government, we’re committed to phasing out the need for new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030,’ a Scottish Government spokesperson told the Times.
‘The £60 million Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund is designed to encourage private investment in the public charging network for electric vehicles in Scotland.
‘This partnership approach, which includes local authorities, will help achieve the charging connectivity Scotland needs for the future and deliver our Mission Zero for transport.
‘The error in the Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan document has been corrected.’
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