UK government uses disinformation in industry consultation about electric vehicles

RHODA WILSON

On Christmas Eve, the UK government launched a consultation inviting industry to shape the country’s transition to zero-emission vehicles.  The transition to “zero-emission vehicles” means the phase-out of petrol and diesel vehicles and how the public can be cajoled into making the switch from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles.

Unsurprisingly, as with all initiatives based on a fabricated anthropogenic climate change crisis, the consultation is based on disinformation.  In the following, Paul Homewood explains why.

Government Disinformation on EVs

By Paul Homewood as published by Watts Up With That

What I really wanted to comment on regarding the EV consultation was the gross disinformation below:

The UK automotive industry already employs over 152,000 people, is our most valuable exported good, and adds £19 billion to our economy. Electric vehicles (EVs) are also cheaper to own and drive than ever, and can run from as little as 2p per mile.

Industry research also shows that using an electric vehicle could save people up to £750 a year in running costs if they’re charged at home compared to using petrol and diesel cars. Upfront costs are also coming down, with 1 in 3 used electric cars now costing under £20,000 to buy, according to industry data.

Industry encouraged to shape UK transition to zero emission vehicles, UK Government Press Release, 24 December 2024

The Consultation Document is even more specific (emphasis added):

Households, consumers and businesses will benefit from the transition to ZEVs [zero emission vehicles]. Already, in many cases ZEVs are significantly cheaper to run, maintain, and repair than their petrol and diesel equivalents, and they emit fewer dangerous particles which can damage health and worsen air quality. Lower running costs can help drive down the cost of living in the long term – and, for company vehicle fleets, it means a lower cost of doing business. So, the ZEV transition will also support the government in meeting its economic growth mission and in raising living standards. At the same time, by switching to ZEVs, consumers can insulate themselves from fossil fuel price spikes and, as we deliver our clean energy mission, the electricity that EV owners use will increasingly be clean, cheap, and homegrown. These benefits mean more than 97% of ZEV buyers would not switch back to an ICE.

Executive Summary (pt. 3), Phasing out sales of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 and supporting the ZEV transition, Open Consultation, UK Department for Transport, 24 December 2024, pg. 6

The so-called “industry research” comes not from the car industry at all, but from the Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit (“ECIU”), which would be better described as a Disinformation Unit. The link given takes us to their analysis HERE.

And the ECIU analysis makes it clear that they have based their petrol costs on the pump price, including fuel duty and VAT:

A typical comparison is the Zoe v Clio:

But when fuel duty of 69.54p/litre (inc VAT) is deducted, that £667 saving is reduced to just £167.

We also need to factor in the fact that VAT is charged at 20% on petrol, but only 5% on electricity. A 5% VAT rate on petrol would cut the saving cut to about £100.

It is of course valid to quote the full savings listed by the ECIU in relation to actual costs paid by drivers currently.

But the Government is not doing that. Instead, it is deliberately claiming that drivers will benefit from the transition to EVs. But they know full well that by the time internal combustion engine (“ICE”) cars are banned in 2030, the taxation raised by fuel duty and VAT on fuel will have to be raised from other sources. Consequently, drivers may benefit from cheaper charging but will see those savings cancelled out by road charging or some other revenue-raising scheme.

The Government also ignore the fact that EVs cost much more to buy, wiping out whatever paltry savings might be made on fuel.

The Zoe, for instance, costs £4,400 more to buy than the Clio.

If a business put out misleading advertising like this, they would be hauled over the coals by the Advertising Standards Authority.

Featured image: Data reveals the extent of electric vehicle fires around the UK, CE Safety, 16 September 2022

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This article (UK government uses disinformation in industry consultation about electric vehicles) was created and published by The Expose and is republished here under “Fair Use” with attribution to the author Rhoda Wilson

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