We were urged to buy hybrid cars believing they were environmentally friendly.
But now tens of thousands of motorists, who were encouraged by the Government, have been given a kick in the teeth.
It turns out they were not quite as efficient at lowering emissions as was originally thought.
Boris Johnson this week brought forward a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2040 to 2035 to coincide with the launch of a UN climate summit in Glasgow later this year.
He said Britain, as the first country to industrialise, had a “responsibility” to lead the way in cutting emissions. A welcome move.
But the decision to extend the ban to all hybrid cars is confusing and enraging. A vehicle is one of the most expensive purchases we will make. Many owners now also fear the fiasco will see resale values dive as the ban approaches.
Who wants to buy a car that will be illegal in the near future?
Tests have found that the new generation of plug-in hybrid cars emit up to three times more greenhouse gases in “real world” driving than official figures suggest.
The reason for this is that hybrids – which contain an extra electric motor and battery – tend to be heavier than their petrol counterparts.
In addition, many plug-in hybrid owners are neglecting to charge their vehicles, running them on petrol alone and losing the benefits of the dual system.
We have been greenwashed before. The move is comparable to the knee-jerk Labour policy of diesel tax breaks, which led to increased air pollution and was later discredited.
Despite bringing forward the ban on new petrol and diesel vehicles, the £3,500 subsidy for buyers of electric cars expires at the end of next month. The industry fears that it will be ditched altogether.
A decision on the future of the grant, which can be put towards the purchase of any plug-in car with a zero-emission range of at least 70 miles, will be announced in the budget on March 11, almost three weeks before it runs out.
Cleaning our air must be a priority. Consumers and industry must be given an incentive to make changes for the good of the environment based on science.
There’s a danger the wheels are coming off Government policies which are quickly found to cause more damage than good.
