Leeds Delays Launch Of Clean Air Zone Due To Coronavirus
Leeds City Council has joined Birmingham in delaying its Clean Air Zone (CAZ) due to the coronavirus pandemic. The CAZ was set to come into effect on September 28th but has now been suspended ‘until further notice’. The Class B CAZ will cover over half of Leeds city centre, with HGVs, buses and coaches set to be charged £50 per day for travelling in the zone if they fail to meet the minimum emission standards.
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There is no other way of putting it across. This is simply terrible news. One of the very few positives from the ongoing coronavirus tragedy, is the reduction in pollution. Satellite images of a less polluted planet have been received with great enthusiasm from across the globe, to include the UK. It is indeed unfortunate that Leeds City Council has failed to learn from the current crisis. Yes, we understand that the local councils have an obligation to assist their communities in this challenging time, but there are many other ways to offer financial assistance that does not entail an increase in air pollution. What concerns us further is the comment that this has been suspended ‘until further notice’. Does this mean that it may not be enforced even in 2021?
Electric Cars To Literally ‘Go Green’ From 2025
In a new initiative to ‘crowd boost’ the popularity of electric cars, the Car Alliance of Britain (CAB) has announced that all of UK’s new electric cars and zero-emission cars are to be painted green from 2025, 10 years before the ban on combustion engine cars comes into force.
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This initiative highlights an important point, that we at e-zoomed have been vocal about via the ongoing green plates consultation. It is imperative we increase the visibility of green cars on our roads and introducing green number plates for ultra low emission vehicles (ULEV) certainly helps. However, we do not believe all battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) need to be painted green to achieve a comprehensive impact on increasing visibility. However, that should not stop fleets and private owners from adopting cars with the colour green, if indeed they do want to impress up on the environmental credentials of their electric car and fleets.
VW Still Aiming For ID.3 Electric Car Rollout By August
Group faces large fines if it fails to sell enough battery-powered vehicles in 2020. Volkswagen still expects to deliver its ID.3 mass-market electric car in August, even as it refuses to rule out job cuts if coronavirus-induced shutdowns outside of China continue.
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There is no doubt that automotive manufacturers across the globe face a daunting 2020 and potentially 2021. Clearly, the sooner the production facilities in key geographies like Europe and the US are restarted, the better for all stakeholders.
However, it is too early to predict and quantify the real fallout from the coronavirus predicament. We believe consumer demand will remain lackluster for the next 12 months, as households adapt to a new reality, socially and economically. Expect significant casualties in the global automotive sector. Yes, there is some glimmer of hope, in that, China is emerging from the crisis, with production facilities coming back to life. However, the supply chain remains fragile in the automotive sector and this may further escalate problems for OEMs. In regards to EU-wide regulations, we believe there will be some leeway from regulators, given the current unprecedented crisis.
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