All cars must be electric in just 15 years

Petrol and diesel vehicles to be banned 8 years ahead of England Sturgeon accused of hitting car drivers with ‘money grabbing’ move

PETROL and diesel cars will be phased out in only 15 years after Nicola Sturgeon launched a fresh attack on motorists yesterday.

And the First Minister was accused of hammering hard-pressed drivers after unveiling proposals for four ‘low emission’ zones in Scotland – with one to be in place by the end of next year.

It marked the latest stage in the SNP’s green crusade against motorists, which will see drivers of 4x4s, lorries, vans and gas guzzling larger cars banned from town centres or being forced to pay to enter.

Miss Sturgeon will also work towards phasing out new conventional diesel and petrol vehicles – targeting both public and private motorists.

The measures were included in the SNP’s Programme for Government, which the First Minister claimed will ‘send a clear signal that Scotland is the place for innovation in digital and low carbon technology’.

But while Miss Sturgeon claims the proposals will be ‘exciting challenges’ for her government, businesses and drivers fear the plans are ‘unworkable’ and will lead to motorists being unfairly targeted.

Last night, a spokesman for the Alliance of British Drivers said: ‘There is clearly some form of collective madness going on. These are just yet more ways of grabbing money from people – and they are targeting drivers to do it.

‘Cars are extremely clean now, they are not the problem. The problem with pollution is buses, taxis and lorries. But the Government has made no effort to tackle that. They are just having a go at motorists, many of whom need their cars for getting to work, or for family. Cars are incredibly liberating for some and it is not right to target these people.’

Speaking in the Scottish parliament yesterday, Miss Sturgeon outlined her plans for low emission zones in four Scottish cities – with feasibility studies carried out already in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow.

The first zone is set to be announced in the coming months, and in place by the end of 2018.

Miss Sturgeon said: ‘Air pollution is a significant risk to public health. It is particularly harmful to vulnerable groups, such as the very young and the very old.

‘We have already committed to the introduction of a low emissions zone in one of our cities by the end of next year and we will confirm its location shortly. However, I can announce today that we will go further. We will work with local authorities to introduce low emission zones in each of our four biggest cities by 2020 and in all other air quality management areas where necessary by 2023.’

A low-emission zone has operated in most of Greater London since 2008. Transport for London is planning to expand the scheme by introducing an ‘ultra low emission zone’ in 2020, forcing even more drivers to pay a daily charge or face a fine of up to £1,000.

Miss Sturgeon also revealed that the Scottish Government will work to phase out all new petrol and diesel cars by 2032 – eight years ahead of a similar target set by ministers at Westminster.

To assist with this she has pledged to ‘massively’ increase the number of charging points for electric cars, with £60million to be invested in widening ‘low carbon energy infrastructure’ across the country. As well as creating more electrical charging points in streets and in car parks, the Government will also look at installing them in residential buildings, including tenement properties.

Miss Sturgeon said: ‘The transition from petrol and diesel cars and vans to electric and other ultra-low emission vehicles is under way and gathering pace. We intend to put Scotland at the forefront of that transition.

‘Over the next few months, we will set out detailed plans to massively expand the number of electric charging points in rural, urban and domestic settings; plans to extend the green bus fund and accelerate procurement of electric or ultra-low-emission vehicles in the public and private sectors.’

Miss Sturgeon said the Government would also look to encourage private motorists to switch to electric cars, with the A9 set to become ‘Scotland’s first fully electric-enabled highway’.

She claimed her plans would not only help the environment but also ‘stimulate economic activity’ in Scotland.

But a Scottish Conservative spokesman said: ‘This is a completely unworkable target, something the Scottish Government must surely admit itself.

‘We all appreciate changes have to occur and the UK Government has already made moves to do exactly that. But the SNP accelerating that timescale by eight years is merely gesture politics, creating more problems than it solves.’ Andy Willox, the Federation of Small Businesses Scotland policy convenor, said: ‘Many retailers and businesses reliant on vehicles will be concerned with the First Minister’s plans.

‘They’ll need to be convinced that we won’t see well-intentioned proposals turn into unworkable laws. For example, new low emission zones will require careful design and delicate implementation.’

But Miss Sturgeon’s announcement has been welcomed by some campaigners, with Friends of the Earth Scotland describing it as ‘the greenest programme for government in the history of the Scottish parliament’.

Director Dr Richard Dixon said: ‘The Scottish Government has put improving and protecting the environment at the heart of their legislative and policy programme.’

‘Clearly some form of collective madness’ ‘Gesture politics creating problems’