6:43 am, September 19, 2023
Harper says vehicle emissions clean will be one of the ‘biggest challenges’
Decarbonising cars and vans is one of the ‘biggest challenges’ to meeting the net zero 2050 deadline, according to the Transport Secretary.
Mark Harper’s comments will be seen as the latest hint that the UK Government will keep in place its ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2030 as part of efforts to meet its commitment to establishing a zero carbon economy.
There has been pressure from some right-wing Conservatives, including former prime minister Liz Truss, to delay the green pledge as the party looks to claw back ground against Labour ahead of a likely election next year.
Car makers, however, are keen for the commitment to be kept in order to provide stability, with manufacturers already starting to design vehicles that will be on sale in 2030.
Mini and Crayola search for future car designers
Mini is hoping to search for the future generation of car designers with a new competition launched with children’s art supplier Crayola.
Designed for children aged 4 to 10 years old, the competition invites future car designers to submit their own sketches for the car of the future.
The successful designer will have their dream turned into reality using vinyl wrap on a Mini Electric, while they’ll also receive a full supply of Crayola art materials for them and their school.
The competition runs from today (September 18) until October 16 and applicants can download a template via the Mini website and submit it online too.
Companies to measure and share effect on nature
Major new guidelines for companies to measure and share their effect on biodiversity have been launched, marking a milestone in international efforts to tackle global nature loss.
The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), which was founded in 2021 to encourage organisations to calculate the effect they are having on biodiversity and ecosystems, unveiled its finalised framework on Monday.
The guidelines outline 14 recommendations for companies to measure and share biodiversity effects, which include information on the organisation’s governance of nature-related issues as well as processes, risk management, metrics and targets.
Young driver car insurance soars
The cost of car insurance for young drivers has soared by £594 in just a year, new research has found.
The average premium now stands at £1,792, representing a significant year-on-year increase from the £1,198 drivers aged under 24 would pay in August 2022.
Car insurance now represents 63 per cent of the total car running costs for young drivers, with Compare the Market – which compiled the research – stating that higher car insurance premiums may be coming, in part, due to repair cost inflation.
More than half would boycott greenwashing firms
More than half of UK shoppers are prepared to boycott brands over misleading green claims, a poll suggests.
Financial services giant KPMG surveyed more than 2,000 UK adults on their attitudes towards green products and technologies.
The poll found that 54 per cent of consumers say they would stop buying from a company if found to have been misleading in its sustainability claims.
Meanwhile, 38 per cent said they would stop investing in the company.
Monday’s Car Dealer headlines you might have missed
- Tumbling used EV prices have changed how car dealers value stock – Flipstock boss
- Car dealers still don’t think 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars will go ahead as planned, new survey finds
- Private EV buyers need more support for speedier transition, says SMMT
- Analysis: Why Hedin won’t be able to block Pendragon deal this time around
- Used electric car prices RISE for the first time in a year – latest data
- Revealed: How and why previous takeover attempts at Pendragon have failed
- Lithia makes second bid for listed car dealer Pendragon with £280m offer
Flying taxis to be built in Ohio
The same Ohio river valley where the Wright brothers pioneered human flight will soon be manufacturing electric planes that take off and land vertically, under an agreement between the state and Joby Aviation.
‘When you’re talking about air taxis, that’s the future,’ Republican governor Mike DeWine told The Associated Press.
‘We find this very, very exciting — not only for the direct jobs and indirect jobs it’s going to create, but like Intel, it’s a signal to people that Ohio is looking to the future. This is a big deal for us.’
Around the world, electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft are entering the mainstream, though questions remain about noise levels and charging demands.
FTSE drops after four month highs
The FTSE 100 retreated from the four-month highs it had reached last week as the index’s housebuilders gravitated towards the bottom of London’s top index.
By the end of the day, the FTSE 100 had given back 58.44 points, a 0.8% reduction which left the index at 7,652.94.
It comes as investors look forward to the interest rate decisions due later this week.
Cloudy and windy
Cloud and rain will begin in the west today and spread across the country, according to the Met Office.
This will become drier and there will be some bright spells for those in the south.
However, the rain will continue this evening and become heavier, spreading into the southeast overnight and into the early hours of Wednesday.
