{"id":79931,"date":"2017-03-21T15:04:17","date_gmt":"2017-03-21T15:04:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=36a23334a30c7669d1b40cf3e6d71665"},"modified":"2017-03-21T15:04:17","modified_gmt":"2017-03-21T15:04:17","slug":"speech-all-party-parliamentary-design-and-innovation-group-address","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=79931","title":{"rendered":"Speech: All-Party Parliamentary Design and Innovation group address"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Introduction<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s a pleasure to join you today, and a particular pleasure to speak alongside a Parliamentary colleague; Baroness Kramer, a former colleague of mine at the Department for Transport.<\/p>\n

Consensus<\/h2>\n

Now, Susan and I might have our political differences.<\/p>\n

But that we\u2019re both here today indicates that on the need for an emission-free-car future, we\u2019ve found that rare thing; something approaching political consensus.<\/p>\n

Yes, we might differ in the details.<\/p>\n

About the precise route we\u2019d take.<\/p>\n

But on the destination itself, we\u2019re in agreement.<\/p>\n

We need an emission-free driving future.<\/p>\n

And we need to get there as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n

That is accepted.<\/p>\n

But, actually, there\u2019s something even more significant than political consensus going on here.<\/p>\n

In the room today we\u2019ve got one of the most diverse audiences a politician\u2019s ever likely to encounter.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re joined by electric car designers and charge-point manufacturers \u2013 just as you\u2019d expect.<\/p>\n

But we\u2019ve also got academics \u2013 from at least 6 different universities.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re joined by representatives of the Shell Corporation.<\/p>\n

And Greenpeace.<\/p>\n

And the British Lung Foundation.<\/p>\n

And all sorts of behavioural insight specialists, engineers, software experts, accountants and advertisers.<\/p>\n

I think this varied gathering signifies that on the question of emission-free vehicles, there\u2019s more than a political consensus.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a rapidly growing social consensus too.<\/p>\n

Need for change<\/h2>\n

The reasons are clear.<\/p>\n

Though air quality has improved, the latest estimates are that air pollution contributes to around 50,000 premature deaths in the UK every year .<\/p>\n

Cars and vans have the most significant influence on the UK\u2019s air quality.<\/p>\n

And we now know that poor air quality is the fourth largest risk to public health.<\/p>\n

With the most severe effects experienced by children and the elderly, and people with lung and heart conditions.<\/p>\n

Much of the evidence for the damage done to air quality was not available to us even ten or even five years ago.<\/p>\n

But now that we know, what are we doing about it?<\/p>\n

Political theorists say that when governments want to create change, they have available to them three instruments of power.<\/p>\n

The can use public money.<\/p>\n

They can make laws.<\/p>\n

And they can communicate.<\/p>\n

Well, we are doing all three.<\/p>\n

In so doing we are drawing upon all the resources of state power to effect the change we need.<\/p>\n

Investment<\/h2>\n

Let me take first the money we are spending.<\/p>\n

During this Parliament, we will invest well over \u00a3600 million supporting the adoption of low emission vehicles.<\/p>\n

That includes subsidising the purchase of new vehicles by consumers.<\/p>\n

It includes more than \u00a380m for subsidising the cost of charging infrastructure, with grants of \u00a3500 off the cost of a home installation, and similar support for charge points on streets and at workplaces.<\/p>\n

\u00a3150 million to support the adoption of the cleanest buses and taxis.<\/p>\n

Over \u00a3100 million funding research and development of new zero emission technologies, building on the UK\u2019s leading scientific and automotive sectors.<\/p>\n

On top of a \u00a3270 million industrial strategy fund, some of which will support the development, design and manufacture of the batteries that will power the next generation of electric vehicles.<\/p>\n

All this adds up to one of the most comprehensive packages of support from any government in the world.<\/p>\n

But money alone isn\u2019t enough.<\/p>\n

\nVTA<\/abbr> Bill<\/h2>\n

The second way we\u2019re furthering change is through new laws.<\/p>\n

The Vehicle Technology and Aviation Bill<\/a> \u2013 which I am currently leading through Parliament will help increase the availability and accessibility of charging networks across the UK.<\/p>\n

First, it will make it easier for drivers to find and use charge points.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s charging infrastructure is distributed across a huge range of locations.<\/p>\n

Car parks, back streets, motorway service stations, high streets\u2026<\/p>\n

That diversity is a good thing.<\/p>\n

But it can make it hard for drivers to find a charge point when they need one.<\/p>\n

Even where location information is available, it can be patchy and inconsistent, with no single open-source database.<\/p>\n

So we want an accessible database \u2013 listing charge point location, price, and availability, and there for app and website makers to use.<\/p>\n

Second, we want all charge points to be accessible to all electric vehicles.<\/p>\n

Our bill gives powers to require interoperability \u2013 so that the design of chargers convenes on a common standard.<\/p>\n

Third, the government wants to see charge points installed at the places motorists would most expect to find them.<\/p>\n

Already there\u2019s at least one charge point at the vast majority of motorway service areas.<\/p>\n

And fuel retailers are installing charge points on their forecourts.<\/p>\n

But in some suitable areas, there\u2019s potential to go further and for these familiar stop-offs to play an even greater role in spurring the transition to electric vehicles.<\/p>\n

So the bill gives us power to require provision of charge points at motorway service areas and large fuel retailers.<\/p>\n

Of course, just because we have these powers, does not mean we will have to use them.<\/p>\n

If we need to act, we will, proportionately.<\/p>\n

But sometimes the mere existence of a power is enough to prompt the response we want.<\/p>\n

We also know that the demand electric vehicles will place on the national grid is of critical importance \u2013 and SSE is right be working on this very issue.<\/p>\n

In particular, we need to ensure electric vehicle charging is \u201csmart\u201d \u2013 that is, able to flex demand to avoid pressures and take advantage of underutilised capacity.<\/p>\n

So the bill also contains powers to ensure that charging infrastructure has the capability to work in this way.<\/p>\n

The Vehicle Technology and Aviation Bill is currently going through its committee stage in the House of Commons.<\/p>\n

And I value the continuing input of Parliamentary colleagues.<\/p>\n

Go Ultra Low<\/h2>\n

Yet the final lever of state power we\u2019re using is the power to persuade \u2013 the power of advertising and communication.<\/p>\n

One of the greatest obstacles to consumers buying electric cars are outdated misconceptions.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why in 2014 we launched our Go Ultra Low<\/a> campaign.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a joint government and industry campaign to inform the public of the capabilities, cost savings and range of electric vehicles on the market.<\/p>\n

When we began 3 years ago, we had 5 car manufacturers on board.<\/p>\n

This year, we\u2019re backed by 8 manufacturers \u2013 Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, Renault, Toyota and, yes, Volkswagen.<\/p>\n

The 2017 campaign has a budget of \u00a34 million.<\/p>\n

And I hope that will help us top even last year\u2019s campaign, which saw our adverts reach over 23 million people.<\/p>\n

Government action is working<\/h2>\n

These 3 strands \u2013 spending money, making laws and communicating with the public \u2013 mean we\u2019re using every lever of power available to us to promote change.<\/p>\n

And we\u2019re seeing results.<\/p>\n

There are now over 11,000 public charge points in the UK.<\/p>\n

Over 75,000 government-funded charge points installed in people\u2019s homes<\/p>\n

And over 80,000 ultra low emission vehicles already on our roads.<\/p>\n

Last year the UK had the largest market for ultra low emission vehicles in the EU, and only Norway sold more in Europe.<\/p>\n

And our new Bill should accelerate the change we\u2019re seeing and that we desperately need.<\/p>\n

But there is still some way to go before we reach our 2040 vision for all new cars and vans to be zero emission<\/p>\n

And by 2050, for nearly all cars and vans on our roads to be emission free.<\/p>\n

So within the next year we will set out in full the government\u2019s strategy for the transition to zero emission road transport.<\/p>\n

Design<\/h2>\n

So we stand in a rare moment in automotive history.<\/p>\n

We are, in fact, people with a precious opportunity.<\/p>\n

An opportunity to shape the future \u2013 just like the adopters and promoters of the first motor cars were able influence the ultimate form of the car for all time.<\/p>\n

And given that we\u2019re today being hosted by the All Party Parliamentary Design and Innovation Group, I\u2019d like to say something about design.<\/p>\n

The mass introduction of charging infrastructure to the public realm means we\u2019re seeing an entirely new kind of street architecture.<\/p>\n

An architecture to become as ubiquitous as Gilbert Scott\u2019s red phone box.<\/p>\n

Or the zebra crossing lights that some people call Belisha Beacons, after the 1930s transport minister of that name.<\/p>\n

Now, both these examples of design have something in common \u2013 they\u2019re designed for visibility and instant recognition.<\/p>\n

I would like to see our charge points share that characteristic.<\/p>\n

But I\u2019d also like something more.<\/p>\n

Wouldn\u2019t it help the acceptance of charge points if they were not just recognisable, but also attractive, even beautiful?<\/p>\n

And so I have wondered about running a public charge point design competition.<\/p>\n

It would give everyone the chance to have a say.<\/p>\n

It might elicit something of beauty and efficacy.<\/p>\n

And best of all, it might even create a product to which my name could be linked for time immemorial.<\/p>\n

One Member of Parliament has already ventured such a name \u2013 the Hayes Hook-up.<\/p>\n

Who could resist one of those?<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n

In conclusion, I\u2019d like to say this: consensus is a scarce and valuable thing these days.<\/p>\n

But on our electric car future, consensus is what we now have.<\/p>\n

The government therefore has a responsibility to deliver on that consensus \u2013 and we will, using all the means available to us to do so.<\/p>\n

Thank you.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

John Hayes sets out the government\u2019s action on moving to a zero-emission driving future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79931"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=79931"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79931\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=79931"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=79931"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=79931"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}