New research from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has claimed that for uptake of alternatively-powered vehicles to increase, the government must offer more assistance. Despite the efforts of those in the EV industry, petrol and diesel cars continued to dominate the market across the last year, with a combined 97.2 per cent share in the industry. Volumes rose in both industries, with petrol increasing by 8.3 per cent and diesel rising by 3 per cent. There was a definite rise in alternatively-fuelled vehicles (AFVs), with a 40.7 per cent increase. This meant a record market-share of 2.8 per cent, with 70,000 units being registered. The International Automotive Summit, which was held in London last week, saw a claim made that the UK's car market will look very different in 20 years' time and that fleet managers would play a big role in its transformation. A number of speakers at the event noted that electric cars would likely become very popular for shorter journeys, whilst hybrids and fuel-cell vehicles were more likely to be used for longer trips. Erik Jonnaert, secretary general for the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA), said there would likely be challenges ahead for the industry, but that there was also huge potential. 'It's going to be important to come up with the right approach and we must look at what we can do in technology with power trains,î said Jonnaert. 'There are still opportunities to improve the internal combustion engine but with alternative powertrains we o must have reality. Uptake is very low at 3 per cent of sales so there must be incentives for better uptake.î Mr Jonnaert also acknowledged that better battery power must be a priority for the AFV sector as a whole. Richard Jory, the vice-president for global key accounts and global business at Shell, meanwhile, argued that there was no 'silver bullet' in terms of the automobile industry, and that it was likely a combination of different vehicles would be used in the long term. 'Demand for moving goods and people will double by 2050 and emissions could potentially rise by 80 per cent. There is seemingly an insatiable demand for more mobility,î said Jory.
