We have a new government, committed to reinstating the targets for achieving net zero and the 2030 ban on selling new internal combustion engine (ICE) cars.

The King’s speech outlined several Bills to make the UK a 'clean energy superpower’, including the Great British Energy Bill and the Crown Estate Bill. Further Bills concentrated on bringing railways back into public ownership and devolution of powers over bus services.

Above all, local authorities are seeking certainty on both timescales and technology. With certainty comes the ability to plan and budget for the necessary investment in new vehicles and the infrastructure and facilities to maintain them. Whilst there exists the political will to reach net-zero targets, with many councils having declared ‘climate emergencies’, several of the building blocks remain elusive.

Technology in the car and van markets has produced a range of new electric vehicles (EV) at prices that are starting to converge with their fossil fuel equivalents. Local authorities have taken the lead in renewing their fleets with substantial numbers of electric vans, many of which are taken home and charged overnight at employees' homes. This option is not available for those larger vehicles requiring significant charge.

Larger electric vehicles, such as refuse collection vehicles, are available, but at prices around three times that of an ICE equivalent. Experiences amongst councils are mixed, with some reporting reliability problems and others lacking the power for rounds over long distances and hilly terrain. The best performance has been found in urban areas with higher density and shorter routes. Hydrogen fuel cells provide an alternative to EVs, but the technology remains in its infancy.

Large vehicles need the power to charge, and in many cases, existing depots do not have the supply capacity required. Grid connections are prohibitively expensive, and upgrades can take up to a decade. The required infrastructure is lacking nationally, and the Government has indicated a desire to upgrade the electricity grid, likely requiring the construction of pylons that can be unpopular amongst the public. Similarly, the infrastructure for hydrogen is very limited. Excess renewable energy may potentially be diverted to green hydrogen production. However, this will take several years to develop.

Some authorities have begun to adopt hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) as a direct replacement for traditional diesel, as HVO can be used in existing diesel engines without modification. Whilst this allows users to see large carbon reductions, there is concern that if HVO is widely adopted in the long term, the crops required for HVO may compete with food crops and push up prices. Furthermore, the overall environmental benefits of HVO can depend on its production methods, as the process can be energy intensive. APSE maintains the position that HVO should be used as a transitional fuel in legacy vehicles and not adopted as a general fuel option.

Local authorities, along with the wider market, are struggling to recruit technicians, mainly due to the lack of apprentices over the past couple of decades. This will only be exacerbated with new technology and retirements and could be an unwelcome drag on progress.

Ultimately, the decision to decarbonise will be a financial one. Local authorities are struggling with a range of issues relating to an aging population and demand for social care and children’s services. In cost terms, fleet budgets pale in comparison to statutory services, which will always take precedence in any financial decisions. Therefore, the rate of fleet replacement will be dictated by the amount of new funding from central government or through local council tax rises.

Although the Government has taken a courageous lead in changing infrastructure and requiring car companies to restrict the number of ICE vehicles sold against electric, the timescales may turn out to be unrealistic within a single parliament. Furthermore, nobody can predict if any external shocks will impact current plans.

The good news is that local authorities have honed their reporting models, established agreed carbon baselines and will continue to decarbonise over the coming years. They will remain ahead of the wider economy by some margin, but being at the forefront of emerging technology is likely to result in a few hiccups along the way.

This article first appeared in the Autumn issue of LAPV. To subscribe for free click here.