Are there now too many clean cars in London?
Car owners looking to buy environmentally-friendly vehicles are being led down 'blind alleys' and left confused by chopping and changing of governmental policies on alternative fuels and vehicles.
The latest EU Renewables Directive announcement could show further seeds of doubt if Europe appears to be moving away from biofuels, says the AA.
Examples of UK motorists taken for a ride include: Liquid petroleum gas (LPG), billed as a city-friendly fuel, fell out of favour. This led to loss of grants for buying and conversion, and a steady increase in fuel duty.
Now supply is threatened in some parts of the country where retailers say there isn’t the demand to justify stocking it.
London congestion charge fuel incentives chop and change, the latest being the inclusion of small petrol and diesel cars for a payment exemption that was originally aimed at electric, LPG and other cleaner cars and there are reports that incentives may again be reconsidered to stop the capital becoming congested with clean vehicles.
Biofuels are now the target of revisionism on environmental impact, leaving some motorists to question whether the move to five per cent biofuel content in standard fuels is the right move.
The debate about alternative fuels is confusing to consumers and is causing them to lose money and faith, according to the AA.
Edmund King, president of the AA, said: "There needs to be more joined-up thinking at local, national and EU levels of government on alternative fuels."
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