It comes at an interesting time, just a few short weeks after the chancellor’s spring budget. Because, hidden deftly behind the good news of yet another freeze on fuel duty and a welcome share of £270m funding for autonomous vehicle R&D, was a much less palatable warning of worrying developments to come.
Unannounced by Philip Hammond on the day – and indeed only later revealed in the budget smallprint – was notification that the government intends to consult on changing taxation specifically for diesel vehicles. Why? To meet its commitments on improving air quality, the plans for which are expected over the next few weeks.
Fleet managers must hope that commercial vehicles might escape what are likely to be punitive measures later this year to persuade buyers to desist from diesel. But – although at the time of writing DfT thinking remains unknown – if previous failures over incentives to switch to cleaner technologies are anything to go by, the reality for van, truck, bus and coach fleets could be far from welcome.
Quite simply, Euro 6 and even Euro 7 diesel regulations (page 31) notwithstanding, the industry faces the potential of higher costs. Costs that may yet make the budget’s other proposal – consultation on red diesel for refrigerated transport – pale into insignificance. Time to talk to suppliers at the CV Show about cleaner options?
All will doubtlesss be revealed, but not before I hand TE’s reins to my successor Will Dalrymple. I wish you all the best for the future.
Brian Tinham BSc CEng MInstMC FSOE FIPlantE FIRTE
Editor