Did you know that transport, especially road transport, is the largest emitter of carbon in the country?
As part of the national drive towards net-zero by 2050, the Government has legislated that any new cars or vans sold in the UK will be zero-emission from 2035.
The UK ZEV (zero emission vehicle) mandate requires that, by 2030, 80% of all new cars and 70% of all new vans sold must be zero-emission.
While this is the case for new vehicles, there is currently no legislation to remove existing petrol, diesel or hybrid vehicles from the road.
At present, battery electric vehicles, (BEVs) are becoming a big part of the drive towards achieving these goals.
BEVs are designed with various features that enhance efficiency, sustainability and user experience – making them a compelling choice for modern drivers and commercial fleets.
BEVs provide a range of benefits. Not only do they help tackle climate change, but they also help improve air quality and address issues, such as noise pollution, as they are quieter and offer a smoother ride.
Hull City Council has several roles to play when it comes to supporting BEV adoption, from investing in public charging through the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) and public car parks to working with the city’s bus operators, through the Hull Bus Alliance, to change Hull’s bus fleet to electric through the ZEBRA (zero emission bus regional areas) project.
All of which will help the council achieve its ambition of making the city net-zero by 2045, ahead of the UK's legal target of 2050.
In addition to supporting EV adoption, publicly and commercially, Hull City Council is also leading by example and has one of the region's largest fleets of fully electric vehicles, with around 60 cars, vans and refuse vehicles.
The fleet is ever-growing and is fuelled by a network of electric vehicle chargers at depots and sites across the city, helping the council achieve its aim of being net-zero, as a business, by 2040.
