UK must do better over electric cars - MPs

The government has no plan to meet the "huge challenge" of persuading motorists to switch to electric vehicles, MPs have warned.

The Public Accounts Committee said the official target of banning the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 could be missed without urgent action.

It also argued that electric vehicles were still too expensive and there were not enough charging points.

The government said it was on track to meet its targets.

A spokesman said it was investing £2.8bn to help the car industry and drivers make the switch to electric.

• Government to speed up UK climate change target

• What will happen to all the dead car batteries?

• Road and rail building plans under review

Sales of electric vehicles are by far the fastest growing segment of the car market, but they still only account for only 11% of new registrations.

The committee warned that this would not get to 100% unless prices fell and charging infrastructure was installed quickly.

Only 13 electric car models on sale in the UK at the moment cost less than £30,000, its report said.

It pointed out that the majority of charging took place at home and claimed the government had not focused enough on helping people who do not have off-street parking.

The committee also said the government needed to develop the skilled workforce and electric power infrastructure needed to support the transition.

'Base camp'

Its chairwoman, Labour MP Meg Hillier, said the UK had "a mountain to climb" to meet its targets.

Challenges included making the car industry "environmentally and socially compliant", but getting the government "wean itself off carbon revenues" could be the biggest obstacle, she added.

"What we've got is a government throwing up a few signs around base camp, and no let-up in demand for oversized, petrol-guzzling vehicles," Ms Hillier said.

But the government said it had a "highly ambitious and world-leading approach to increasing the uptake of zero-emission cars".

A spokesperson said the "progress we're making in this area will help us to meet our targets".

The government had allocated £1.3bn over the next four years to support the roll-out of charging points on motorways and major A roads, in homes and businesses and on streets, they added.

The cost of electric vehicles would fall as production scaled up around the world, the spokesperson claimed.

The RAC motoring group said it expected sales to grow further as new models came out.

It called for the government to look at "ways to incentivise take-up", adding that the plug-in grant - under which motorists are given help in purchasing zero-emissions vehicles - was not guaranteed to continue beyond 2023.

Sales of new hybrid vehicles are to be banned from 2035, under government plans.