UK needs to ban full hybrid cars by 2030 or face net zero ‘catastrophe’, says motoring body
Britain needs to press ahead with a ban on the sale of new hybrid cars with no plug from 2030 or risk taking “a catastrophic misstep” on the road to net zero, ministers have been warned.Cars such as the Toyota Prius, which charge a battery from an internal combustion engine, need to be excluded from the list of vehicles sold in the UK from 2030 or there will be a “profound” fall in confidence in the government’s commitment to electric motoring, according to the representative body Electric Vehicles UK (EVUK).The Department for Transport (DfT) will ban the sale of new cars powered solely by internal combustion engines from 1 January 2030.It is consulting on what other types of new cars – such as full hybrids – can be sold between that date and the end of 2034, after which all non-zero-emission new cars will be prohibited.Ministers have come under huge pressure to delay the date when a full ban on non-electric cars takes place.
Full hybrids, including the Toyota Prius, have a petrol or diesel engine as well as an electric motor powered by a battery.The battery is recharged by the engine rather than an external plug, and they can usually only be driven on electricity alone for a few miles and at low speeds.The chief executive of EVUK, Dan Caesar, said he was not opposed to new plug-in hybrids – some of which are capable of zero-emission driving over more than 50 miles – being sold between 2030 and 2035, but called for those without a plug to be banned.“The inclusion of full hybrid technology would be a catastrophic misstep and make a laughingstock of the UK government’s world-leading zero-emission vehicle policy,” he told the PA news agency.“If lobbyists do persuade government to include full hybrids it would be a big backward move.
“The ramifications for the nascent EV industry and for fragile consumer confidence could be profound,“Holding the line and creating certainty around EVs has the potential to be a key measure towards revitalising a sluggish economy,”Dr Andy Palmer, a former chief executive of Aston Martin and ex-operating chief of Nissan, described full hybrids as “a better solution” than mild hybrids – which cannot be driven on electricity alone – but said they used “a technology that belongs to the late 1990s”,Under the zero-emission vehicles (Zev) mandate introduced at the start of 2024, manufacturers must sell a minimum percentage of pure electric cars each year,The threshold will rise from 22% in 2024 to 28% in 2025, and is set to reach 80% in 2030.
The government’s consultation, which runs until 18 February, will consider more flexible deadlines after some parts of the automotive industry claimed the mandate was putting jobs on the line.In November, Vauxhall owner Stellantis announced the closure of its van-making factory in Luton, putting 1,100 jobs at risk, and said the decision was made within the context of the “stringent” Zev mandate.A DfT spokesperson said: “We are consulting with industry on which cars, including which types of hybrid cars, can be sold alongside fully zero-emission vehicles from 2030.“Drivers are already embracing electric vehicles faster than ever, and 2024 was a record year for the UK new car market, with the strongest overall growth of any major European market.“Industry will help us shape the transition to zero-emissions vehicles in a way that works for businesses, drivers, and the environment.
“Together we can capitalise on the clean energy transition to support thousands of jobs, make the UK a clean energy superpower, and rebuild Britain,”
‘It was a light in the dark’: how a bakery transformed lives in war-torn Mostar
Jasmin Elezović was six years old when his home became a war zone.It was 1993 and the historic city of Mostar, straddling the Neretva River in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina, had become the centre of some of the most vicious fighting of the Bosnian war, which had begun more than a year earlier.Elezović and his mother were living with two other families in a small flat in the east of the city, the frontline barely 200 metres from their door. For nine months that year Mostar was under siege, split in two by brutal fighting, with 60,000 people in the eastern part of the city under relentless bombardment by fighting forces identifying as Croats.His recollections of that time are scattered and bleak
Guardian and Observer readers raise £1.25m so far in charity appeal
With just over a week to go, an incredible £1,250,000 has been raised by generous readers for the 2024 Guardian and Observer appeal in support of victims of conflict and war.Three charities will benefit from the appeal: Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and War Child, which carry out frontline medical aid work in war zones, and Parallel Histories, which helps schools teach sensitive and controversial histories such as those of Northern Ireland, Israel and Palestine.The overall total stood at £1,262,000 at midday on Friday, with more than 11,200 readers donating to the appeal. It is the 10th year in a row the annual appeal has raised over £1m. Over the past decade it has raised just short of £15m for good causes
Fixing England’s social care will be biggest challenge yet for Louise Casey
She is the no-nonsense civil servant from Portsmouth who was called upon by four prime ministers to tackle deep-rooted social issues, including rough sleeping, antisocial behaviour, victims’ rights and troubled families.Now Louise Casey has been tasked by a fifth to chair an independent commission into adult social care. Her mission? Develop a plan to save the sector.Lady Casey must build a consensus around a new national care service able to meet the needs of millions of older and disabled people for decades to come. It will be her toughest challenge yet
Loneliness linked to ill health through effect on protein levels, research suggests
Loneliness has long been associated with ill health but researchers say they have fresh insights into the link between the two.While poor health can result in people becoming isolated and lonely, studies have also suggested loneliness can itself lead to poorer health.Now researchers say they have unpicked a mechanism for the latter relationship, finding loneliness can affect the levels of a handful of proteins associated with various diseases and even death.Prof Barbara Sahakian, a co-author of the study at the University of Cambridge, said the World Health Organization had declared social isolation and loneliness a major problem in the world. “I think the message is that we’ve got to start to get people to realise that it’s part of a health thing, both for their mental health and their wellbeing but also for their physical health, that they have to remain connected with other people,” she said
Cross-party talks on adult social care reform in England to start next month
Cross-party talks over the future of social care will begin next month as the health secretary hit back over criticism that a commission on the issue would take too long to bring about change.Wes Streeting said he wanted all parties to “agree on the direction on social care for the long term” and that the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Reform party had all said they would work together on it.An independent commission to reform adult social care in England was launched on Friday but attracted criticism for kicking much-needed reforms “into the long grass”. Its final recommendations will not be made until 2028.The taskforce, led by the cross-bench peer Louise Casey, will be charged with developing plans for a new national care service, which was a key Labour election manifesto pledge
Police investigate reports of prison attack on Sara Sharif’s father
Police are investigating reports that the father of the schoolgirl Sara Sharif had his throat cut in an assault by fellow inmates while in prison for her murder.Urfan Sharif, 43, is said to have been attacked in Belmarsh prison, south London, by two men who rushed into his cell with a weapon made from the lid of a tuna tin, according to the Sun. The assault is said to have happened on New Year’s Day and caused injuries to his neck and face that are understood to have been treated in prison.The Metropolitan police said in a statement they were investigating an allegation of assault at Belmarsh.Sharif was sentenced to life imprisonment last month, along with Sara’s stepmother, Beinash Batool, 30
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