The AA has welcomed a Government pledge to invest in the UK’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) industry but warns that fleets will only benefit if they receive adequate support.

The Government’s announcement, delivered by Theresa May at the UK’s first ZEV Summit in Birmingham yesterday (Tuesday, September 11), saw pledges of more than £500m-worth of low-emissions projects and the creation of 1,000 jobs.

The AA, which is due to launch its annual Operational Fleet Insight Report in collaboration with BT Fleet next week, supports the initiative but advises that the pace of change could leave some fleet managers behind.

“The Prime Minister’s announcement in Birmingham today is very welcome, particularly in light of recent carbon emissions targets for the UK,” says Jennie Hill, director of business services at the AA.

“The AA has long been a supporter of the adoption of low-emission vehicles, such as electric vehicles (EV), and we continue to support the Government in its drive to build a Midlands-based manufacturing centre for low-emission technologies.

“However, we would like to see the creation of more initiatives to help fleets adopt the new technologies that will be developed from the government’s latest investment.”

Hill continues: “At the moment, very little financial support exists for small and medium-sized businesses. Until this is implemented, new and greener technologies are in danger of passing them by. New legislation, such as clean air zones, will be expensive for fleet managers unless they upgrade their fleets.”

The latest report by AA and BT Fleet includes the views of numerous decision makers and workers across the industry on subjects such as connected vehicles, data and emissions and will be available to download from September 20.

See the next edition of Fleet News for more on this story.

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