Transport secretary Chris Grayling has reinforced the government’s pledge to electrify its road transport fleet by 2030, praising current progress.
The commitment was first laid out in the Road to Zero strategy, however Grayling this week issued a letter to all government departments to reinforce the target, which requires 25% electrification by 2022.
Departments have been issued with guidance by the Department for Transport (DfT). They will also be asked to publish a yearly progress report.
Electrification of the Government Car Service is currently on track, with 23% of the fleet currently being EVs. But Grayling said this now needs to be reflected across all government fleets, not just those in central government.
“We want the UK to be the best place in the world to own an ultra-low emission vehicle, and as a government we have to lead by example,” Grayling said.
However, the DfT has previously been criticised by the Committee on Climate Change for its stance on EVs after it announced cuts to the Plug-in Car Grant in 201, with CCC chair Lord Deben urging government to bring forward the phase out of conventional vehicles by five years.