Westminster gets hundreds more Green MPs as government on track to have quarter of cars low-emission

The UK Government is on track with its green targets following an announcement that over 25 per cent of all its cars now ultra-low emission vehicles. 

Ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEV) are cars that use low-carbon technology, emitting less than 75g of CO2/km. These are usually either electric cars or plug-in hybrids.

“As the UK moves towards a cleaner transport network, the government is doing its part, with over 25 per cent of its central car fleet being battery-powered three months earlier than planned,” said technology and decarbonisation minister Jesse Norman. 

The government pledged in October 2021 to have at least a quarter of its car and van fleet be net-zero by the end of 2022, in line with its ambitions to have the whole fleet turn green by 2027.

“We will continue to forge ahead, to complete the switch by 2027 and help make the UK a world leader in decarbonisation.”

The announcement comes as 500 additional charging points will be rolled out throughout Westminster by March, bringing the number of charging stations available in the borough to over 2,000.

Westminster council – which put Siemens in charge of the roll-out – said in September it was hoping to install an additional 500 throughout the rest of 2023.

Westminster council was approached for further comment.

This comes after much of the UK – and the capital – have been subject to mass environmental protests in wake of the war in Ukraine and rising fuel costs.

Groups such as Extinction Rebellion, Just Stop Oil and Insulate Britain have been protesting the use of fossil fuels, and the granting of new contracts for oil and gas firms.

This has prompted the government to reconsider some of its energy sources and look for alternative fuels, including renewable and hybrid energy.