Householders who don't have driveways set to benefit from Government's new car plans
The Government shake-up will help problems families without a driveway currently face, including making charging easier and cheaper. The plane will also give householders the opportunity to charge their vehicles from home, meaning they can benefit from cheaper electricity rates.
Labour Party Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: 'We are making it easier and cheaper to own an electric vehicle. We know access to charging is a barrier for people thinking of making the switch, so we are tackling that head on so that everyone - whether or not they have a driveway - can access the benefits of going electric.
'This is what our Plan for Change mission to kickstart Britain's economy looks like in practice.
"We're not just boosting charging infrastructure, we're building a fairer, cleaner future where every family can benefit from cheaper, greener transport, whilst creating thousands of good jobs across the country.'
However, Scott Gallacher, Director at financial firm Rowley Turton, warned: 'On the face of it, it's a great idea. EVs are undoubtedly the future.
"I'm on my second electric car, first a Tesla and now a BMW i5, and while I have access to charging both at home and work, I know lack of charging options is a major barrier for many people. So this initiative is very welcome.
Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.
You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.
All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!
If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like.
To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
'EVs are cheaper to run and improve local air quality, which is good for both the environment and household budgets. However, my big questions are: will this scheme be enough, how many households will it realistically help, and should the Government be subsidising those who can already afford a new car, especially when the public finances have a huge black hole?'
Matas Buzelis, car expert at vehicle history platform carVertical, described the plan as a 'win for consumers and the environment'. He said: 'The EV is without a doubt the future so this move by the Government makes sense and should be applauded.
"Many people living in urban environments, especially in big cities, don't have driveways and their dream of buying an EV often ends right there.
"If this initiative overcomes the practical hurdles of EV ownership and boosts the charging infrastructure, it's a win for consumers and a win for the environment.'
Certain vehicles are set to be banned in Britain by 2030. Earlier this year, Labour confirmed solely combustion petrol and diesel cars will no longer be on the market by the end of the decade. Car makers will no longer to allowed to sell any type of petrol and diesel car in a bid to encourage the use of hybrid and electric vehicles.
According to Which?, 'new pure fossil fuel cars' and 'new fossil fuel mild hybrids' are the only vehicles which will be outright axed from 2030.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Belfast Telegraph
11 minutes ago
- Belfast Telegraph
King approves appointment of former NI fighter pilot as new head of Royal Air Force
Air Marshal Harv Smyth from Lurgan will succeed Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton when he becomes the next Chief of the Air Staff in August. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed on Wednesday that the promotion has been approved by His Majesty King Charles III. Air Marshal Smyth said he is 'deeply honoured' to have been selected for the job 'at such an important time'. "The Royal Air Force The Strategic Defence Review makes clear the need for us to rapidly evolve and modernise to meet current and future threats and I am enormously proud to lead the Service at such a crucial point in our history,' he said. 'I take over from Sir Rich Knighton, who has achieved so much over the past two years, preparing the Royal Air Force for the challenges that we currently face and developing the operational mindset that we need, should we transition to conflict. "I share in his unwavering support for our people and am delighted to have this opportunity to lead our Whole Force as we deliver outstanding Air and Space Power for the UK and NATO.' Defence Secretary John Healey said the move comes at a transformative time for the Royal Air Force as it transitions to 'warfighting readiness' following the publication of the Strategic Defence Review. It also follows the a recent announcement that the UK will purchase 12 F-35A fighter jets and join NATO's nuclear mission as the government delivers greater security for working people through its Plan for Change. "I warmly congratulate Air Marshal Harv Smyth on his appointment as Chief of the Air Staff. He has outstanding credentials to lead the RAF in a crucial period of transformation for the force,' Mr Healey said. 'Air Marshal Smyth has led a distinguished career to date. From spending 15 years as a frontline Harrier pilot and weapons instructor, to flying hundreds of operational missions from both land bases and aircraft carriers, to holding numerous vital command positions, he has served our nation loyally.' The pilot's ascent began when he was just 14-years-old when he attended a careers day in Lurgan College and his English teacher, Miss Molly Edgar, overheard him talking about his interest in the RAF and took an 'immediate interest'. "She was a big encouragement. In fact, she helped set up my very first interview with the RAF when I was 15, which led to me being awarded the RAF Sixth Form and Flying Scholarships,' he previously told the Belfast Telegraph. "Very quickly I found myself at Woodgate Aviation at Aldergrove, where at the age of 16, I was taught to fly." Air Marshal Smyth joined the RAF in 1991 as a direct entrant and spent 15 years as a frontline Harrier pilot and weapons instructor flying hundreds of operational missions over Bosnia, Kosovo, Serbia, Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2015 he was promoted to Air Commodore and has held a range of command positions. The current Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff for Military Strategy and Operations opened up about having the 'coolest job in the world' back in 2021 a year after he became the UK's first space defender. He expressed excitement at taking up the position of Director Space UK which required him to work alongside the UK Space Agency and the UK Government to develop the National Space Strategy and shape the future space programme for decades to come – he even had a hotline to Downing Street. "Meeting with Number 10, taking directions straight from the top in the Cabinet with the National Space Council, it's an exciting time. You feel right at the heart of something really important, and it is," he said at the time. 'We're at a time in history when big things are just starting to happen. I'm always happy to get out of bed in the morning to do what I do. It's all I hoped it would be and more.' Watch: King and Queen meet The Causeway Shantymen during visit to famous Belfast street As of next month, Air Marshal Smyth will be responsible for the strategic planning and delivery of all Royal Air Force operations, people and capability to ensure fighting effectiveness, efficiency and morale as well as the development and sustainment of the RAF. The RAF in Northern Ireland offered a 'huge congratulations… to a local aviator' on its official X account. 'We are incredibly proud to celebrate the promotion of a Northern Ireland native,' it added. 'Well done Sir!!". The position is accountable to the Secretary of State for Defence. Mr Healey MP also recognised Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton's 'superb leadership' over the last two years. "I know he and Air Marshal Smyth will work together to deliver a landmark shift in our deterrence and defence,' he added. 'The RAF is always globally deployed and ready to defend the nation. "RAF pilots and aircrew are currently deployed on Operation SHADER to combat Daesh terrorists in Iraq and Syria, in Qatar as part of our joint Typhoon squadron, and in Eastern Europe as part of the NATO Enhanced Air Policing mission to deter Russia.' Red Arrows in Newtownards for Armed Forces Day Meanwhile, the incoming Chief of the Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton, said: 'I am absolutely delighted that Air Marshal Harv Smyth has been selected as the next Chief of the Air Staff, and I have every confidence that he will lead the Royal Air Force brilliantly and make sure we are ready to fly and fight. 'As I hand over to Air Marshal Smyth, I know that under his command the Royal Air Force will go from strength to strength to ensure that we are always ready to protect and promote our national interests on the world stage. "I wish him every success and look forward to working with him in leadership of our Armed Forces.'
The Independent
13 minutes ago
- The Independent
The £200 billion landbank that could boost the UK's housing supply
West One Loans is a Business Reporter client How UK housebuilders are tapping into land to accelerate homebuilding amid rising demand, improved mortgage affordability and government pressure for delivery. The nation's biggest housebuilders have been using their landbanks, worth a combined value of £200 billion, to deliver more homes to market in the face of growing buyer demand spurred by improving market confidence and greater mortgage affordability. West One Loans, a leading provider of property finance and specialist mortgages, has analysed the latest company reports for eight of the nation's biggest housebuilders, to see which currently boasts the strongest pipeline with respect to their individual landbanks and the value of these plots in the current market. The government has been vocal in its demands for the nation's housebuilders to 'roll up their sleeves' to help achieve the ambitious target of 1.5 million new homes by 2029. So much so, it recently announced tough new rules forcing developers to commit to delivery time frames for planning permission, with those caught slacking risking losing their land to local authorities. However, the latest analysis by West One Loans shows that the majority of the nation's major housebuilders are already rising to the challenge, having reduced their landbank pipelines as a result of delivering more homes. The analysis shows that, across eight of the nation's biggest housebuilders, some 488,620 landbank plots were recorded within 2024 reports. Based on the current average UK new-build house price of £406,390, this means the total pipeline of these eight developers alone is worth an estimated £198.6 billion. Bellway currently boasts the most robust pipeline, with 95,292 landbank plots reported in its 2024 figures, holding an estimated market value of £38.7 billion. Persimmon ranks second, with 82,084 plots in its pipeline, worth an estimated £33.4 billion, whilst Taylor Wimpey sits third at £32 billion in market value across 78,626 landbank plots. However, while these developers have maintained a robust pipeline of plots, further analysis by West One Loans shows that there has been an increase in development activity on landbanks, no doubt driven by improving market conditions and increasing buyer demand as a result of a stabilising mortgage market. Across all eight major housebuilders, total landbank volumes have fallen by 3.6 per cent over the last year. In fact, all but one of the developers analysed by West One Loans has reduced the size of its landbank. Vestry Group has broken the most ground in this respect, with a -7.9 per cent year on year reduction in landbank volume. Berkeley Group has seen a -6.8 per cent reduction, while Crest Nicholson has seen an annual drop of -6 per cent. Only Miller Homes has seen an increase in this respect, although it's a marginal one, with its landbank volumes up by 0.1 per cent on an annual basis. 'It's clear that, while many of the nation's developers have been sure to maintain a robust pipeline of landbank plots, they have also been pushing forward and breaking ground in order to bring more homes to market to meet growing demand,' says Co-Head of Short-Term Finance at West One Loans, Thomas Cantor. 'This is despite the fact that the current landscape still presents a range of challenges. But, as interest rates have stabilised, we've seen more housebuilders turn to the specialist finance sector to help them facilitate their ambitions 'This has largely taken the form of a greater reliance on bridging in order to help part fund their initial project, as well as utilising development finance in order to exit existing builds in order to push forward with the next. 'We've seen numerous examples over the past 12 months where developers have utilised us to help them in both instances and, finding a finance specialist that can do so will ensure a far smoother process throughout.' Data tables and sources Data on landbank volumes sourced from each of the eight housebuilders individual company reports for 2024 - sourced within the data tables linked below.
The Independent
13 minutes ago
- The Independent
Top official adds to Tesla exodus amid sales slump
Troy Jones, Tesla 's Vice President of sales, service, and delivery for North America, has departed the company after 15 years. His departure follows a series of high-profile executive exits from Tesla, including Milan Kovac, Jenna Ferrura, and Omead Afshar, amidst recent company turmoil. These leadership changes occur as Tesla faces a significant sales slump and challenges related to CEO Elon Musk 's political involvement. Tesla's global vehicle sales dropped by 13.5 per cent in the second fiscal quarter of 2025, with deliveries falling short of analyst expectations. The company's stock price has also seen a considerable decline over the past six months, reflecting broader difficulties.
