Newslink October 2023

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
Welcome news for those worried
by the rush to electrify – and for
those desperate for their L-test
Colin Lilly
Editor,
Newslink
One of the surprise announcements in
September came from the Prime Minister
Rishi Sunak, when he confirmed that a
number of the Net Zero 2050 policies would
be delayed.
To drivers the most important was the
stay of execution on the sale of petrol and
diesel-powered vehicles and some hybrids,
with the axe falling not in 2030 but in 2035.
This will take pressure off many car owners
who were not relishing the financial outlay of
going electric.
The postponement is a mixed blessing
depending on your situation.
Some driver trainers have gone ahead and
started using electric training vehicles. The
postponement of five years may reduce
demand for lessons in the short term but a
significant number will still want to be ready
for the inevitable.
There is little doubt that a potential change
to electric or hybrid vehicles has fuelled the
demand for lessons in a car with an automatic
gearbox. This demand will continue as the
popularity of these vehicles is increasing.
Availability of charging points has been a
concern for drivers. Hopefully the extra five
years will allow providers and local
authorities to catch up and prepare a network
that will approach sufficiency.
Battery range has been a concern for
potential owners and battery supply for
manufacturers. More time should allow these
matters to be resolved. Sources of the
precious metals required from around the
world are expanding, which will help
production levels and reduce prices.
The change in date to 2035 brings UK in line
with the European Union and United States.
This will help vehicle manufacturers plan
models. A number of manufacturers have set
dates to end sales of petrol and diesel
vehicles. Jaguar Land Rover, Ford, BMW,
including Mini, Nissan and others have
announced plans to make their range all
electric by 2030.
There are some doubts that the target of
net zero by 2050 can be met. But vehicle
targets may be achieved by manufacturers
rather than legislation.
• More on this on page 16
Another announcement in September that
was most welcome was the plan by DVSA to
allocate all driving examiner warrant card
holder to testing duties, creating up to an
extra 150,000 test slots by the end of the
financial year. Hopefully, this shows that the
DVSA recognises at last just how serious the
situation is.
• More on this on page 6
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MSA GB Annual Conference 2024:
Prices and venue announced
Time to get the weekend
cleared....
Venue and pricing
details released.
See pg 26 for more
details and first news
COVER STORY
The DVSA’s latest
intervention could
add as many as
150,000 L-tests,
in a bid to cut the
waiting times.
Full story,
see pg 6
NEWSLINK n OCTOBER 2023 03