STORY: EVs account for 3 pct of all cars on British roads: report
SHOOTING TIME: Jan. 23, 2024
DATELINE: Feb. 7, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:32
LOCATION: London
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of street views in London
2. various of petrol station

STORYLINE:

Britain will lag in the slow lane for tackling climate change if more people fail to switch to electric vehicles (EVs), with EVs currently making up only 3 percent of all cars in the country, a parliamentary inquiry warned Tuesday.
   
The House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee said the country's EV strategy needs a rapid recharge. "A successful transition to electric vehicles is essential if the government is to meet its legally binding net-zero target by 2050," according to the committee's report.
   
Kate Parminter, chair of the committee, said: "Surface transport is the UK's highest emitting sector for CO2, with passenger cars responsible for over half those emissions."
   
Initially, the British government had intended to phase out the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030, but this deadline has now been extended to 2035. Meanwhile, EVs are still more expensive than their petrol and diesel counterparts, and the availability of public charge points in the country is highly variable.
   
"Many consumers face considerable anxiety around whether and where they will be able to charge EVs reliably, affordably, and quickly," the report added.
   
In its key recommendations, the committee called on the government to tackle the disparity in upfront costs between EVs and petrol and diesel cars, by introducing targeted grants to support consumers buying affordable models. It also urges a faster charging infrastructure rollout.
   
"The evidence we received shows the Government must do more -- and quickly -- to get people to adopt EVs. If it fails to heed our recommendations the UK won't reap the significant benefits of better air quality and will lag in the slow lane for tackling climate change," Parminter said. 

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from London.
(XHTV)