Three-quarters (75%) of attendees at an ALD Automotive event said that all vehicles emitting CO2 should be charged for entering a Clean Air Zone (CAZ).
Meanwhile, nearly 65% of delegates said that they are currently looking to introduce ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs) as part of their fleet.
The views were expressed at ALD Automotive’s first CAZ event in Bristol, where the company is based. It was attended by more than 200 visitors, including local and national employers.
The audience included representatives from local authorities and Government bodies, keen to hear from electric vehicle (EV) and environmental experts, who made detailed presentations on subjects such as the UK’s charging network, switching fleets over to ULEVs and strategies to improve air quality.
During the presentations, the delegates were asked a series of questions on their motoring habits and their views on mobility and the environment.
It found that, while the vast majority (75%) currently drive a conventional petrol or diesel vehicle, three-quarters were in favour of charging every vehicle entering a CAZ unless it was zero emissions.
The event was chaired by TV actor Robert Llewellyn (Red Dwarf and Scrap Heap Challenge), who is an electric vehicle enthusiast and the founder of the ‘Fully Charged Show’.
The event, held in conjunction with the University of the West of England (UWE), aimed to examine the future of business mobility, in light of the introduction of CAZs across the UK.
The presentations included insights into the future of the UK charging network, and how vehicle availability is possibly the biggest barrier to EV uptake.
Matt Dale, head of consultancy for ALD, outlined the results of a study commissioned by ALD and conducted by UWE into mobility in the city.
It highlighted the fact that while many in the study work in Bristol, their journeys take them all over the UK, including into cities mandated to introduce CAZs.
The study looked at more than 300,000 trips by 4,000 vehicles fitted with connected vehicle technology and concluded that if the mandated CAZs were charging zones, then the vehicles in the study could collectively incur total charges of over £30,000 per year. ALD says it will shortly make the full results of the study available.
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Gareth has more than 20 years’ experience as a journalist having started his career in local newspapers in the 1990s. Prior to joining Fleet News in 2008, he worked in the public sector as a media advisor and is currently news editor at Fleet News.
Honest John - 15/01/2019 16:57
Was that 75% of the audience employee's of local councils and Government? Who in their right mind would say they wanted to be charged to enter a clean air zone? This is just another scam by the government to target the motorist / fleet operator by stealth. I cannot believe for one second that these results were driven by representatives who actually work in the fleet and automotive sector. If I had a fleet manager with this sort of attitude, they would be looking for employment elsewhere. Absolute madness.