To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department is projected to meet its target proportion of new car sales to be ultra low emission vehicles by 2030.

The Government wants to see at least 50%, and as many as 70%, of new car sales, and up to 40% of new van sales being ultra low emission vehicles (ULEVs) by 2030. The Government’s role is to set the right framework for industry to bring forward the technologies to support this transition, and to encourage people to choose the cleanest vehicles. Price parity between conventional and ultra low emission vehicles, anticipated by many to be reached in the mid 2020s, will be a key factor.

Given the many uncertainties in the adoption of new technologies, it is challenging to project progress against future levels of ambition. However, the Government actively tracks market developments and notes that ULEVs continue to increase their share of new registrations in the UK. In Quarter 3 of 2018, the number of plug-in grant-eligible cars registered for the first time in the United Kingdom was up by over 12% on the same quarter in 2017, and by 50% on the same quarter in 2016. The Department will keep under review progress towards its ambitions by 2025, and will consider what interventions are required if not enough progress is being made.