Latest Car News: 64mph Speed Limit and Sunday Driving Ban to Cut Emissions

By Libby Foster
16-01-2023
Latest Car News: 64mph Speed Limit and Sunday Driving Ban to Cut Emissions
In recent car news, according to a recent report from the Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee improving the energy efficiency of the UK's transportation system is necessary to reduce dependency on imported oil and meet climate change objectives. The document suggests that the Department for Transport communicate with industry over measures to reduce emissions and conserve energy, such as those mentioned in the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) ten-point plan.


What is Included within the IEA’s Plan? 

The IEA's ten-point proposal, which focuses on reducing demand, calls for measures like car-free Sundays in major cities and a countrywide speed limit decrease of at least 10 km/h (6.2mph). It also proposes encouraging walking and cycling as well as lowering the cost of public transportation. According to the IEA, such actions may globally save 2.7 million gallons of oil each day.

The committee report also raised concerns about the rising popularity of bigger, heavier cars, such as SUVs, which produce more CO2 than more recent, smaller models.

What Does This Mean for Drivers? 

When evaluating the paper in terms of cars, the larger Ford Puma with the same engine produces 122 g/km of CO2, whilst the Ford Fiesta 1.0 Ecoboost MHEV 125 emits 114g/km. This would suggest that Ford may have maybe moved too hastily in the ending of production of the Fiesta. As the Fiesta produces fewer emissions than the Puma. Equally, the electric Peugeot e-208, which uses the same motor and 50kWh battery as the Peugeot e-2008, can travel up to 225 miles on a single charge, compared to just 214 miles for the larger Peugeot e-2008.


The report also stated that “the rapid growth in electric-car sales is encouraging, but it will take many years to replace petrol and diesel vehicles”. However, other research has found that in December 2022, sales of electric vehicles accounted for about a third of all new car sales, their greatest monthly market share ever. For the first time, new diesel car sales were surpassed by sales of electric cars in 2022, which accounted for about 17% of all vehicle sales.


The publication of the report coincided with the Met Office's announcement that 2022 was the UK's warmest year on record, with an average temperature that first exceeded 10 degrees Celsius.


Is it Time to Switch to Electric? 

After reviewing the data above, it might have crossed your mind that it could be time to move to electric. When it comes to selecting the right electric car for you, we have plenty of electric lease deals available at MWVC to meet every driver's needs. Whether you are looking for a personal deal or a commercial vehicle to lease, our expert sales team can advise you on the best deal for you. 


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