Richard Earl, R&D Director at EO Charging, asks how learning from China’s EV mandates could benefit the UK bus sector
China’s significant investment in affordable electric vehicles (EVs) and supporting infrastructure has challenged the global automotive industry. Some policymakers suggest that it has even caused market imbalances, but given that sales of EVs reached over 6 million units in 2022 in China, there is a clear opportunity to learn from the way incentives have been used to drive an uptick in EV adoption.
China’s EV mandate demonstrates how comprehensive policies, including land planning permissions and funding for public charging infrastructure, can drive widespread electric vehicle adoption and the benefits of it. Today China is experiencing benefits like reduced air pollution, accelerated EV adoption, and a stronger position in the global clean energy market.
There is much we can learn from China here. With the EU mandate to increase EV tariffs, in the immediate term, consumer EV option prices will increase, resulting in a greater reliance on public transport. That is where the UK Government should therefore focus its legislative efforts – in getting public sector fleets on the electrification journey.
In the UK’s bus sector, we’ve seen where legislation can help with initiatives such as the ZEBRA scheme. Schemes like ZEBRA, led by the Government, are critical as they make electrification of public transportation possible. With local authorities set to take on bus services, the UK Government could take lessons from China on how they use funding and legislative power to aggressively electrify their public transportation system.
Electrification to date
The bus sector is a critical part of the UK’s net-zero story. Electric buses have emerged as having significant potential to lead the charge in fleet electrification; with predictable routes, they are ideally suited to decarbonising mass transit, offering cleaner, quieter, and more comfortable transportation.
[…]By subscribing you will benefit from:
- Operator & Supplier Profiles
- Face-to-Face Interviews
- Lastest News
- Test Drives and Reviews
- Legal Updates
- Route Focus
- Industry Insider Opinions
- Passenger Perspective
- Vehicle Launches
- and much more!
