Motorcycle group call on government to abandon plans to phase out internal combustion engines

The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) have met with Jesse Norman, the Minister of State (Decarbonisation and Technology) to make a case for the government abandoning plans to ban the sale of vehicles with internal combustion engines (ICE) from 203o.

The group have listed their key points as:

• Why MAG’s alternative plan makes more sense.
• The threat the Government’s forced electrification poses to the UK’s long-term economic prosperity and national security.
• How forced electrification will negatively impact most people’s standard of living.
• Why policies that work in London don’t necessarily work in the rest of the UK.

The group appear to have been energised by the recent German and Italian objection to an EU ban on the sale of new cars with ICE which would have taken effect in 2035. The two countries were demanding a provision be made that would allow ICE vehicles to be registered after that date if they run exclusively on synthetic fuels produced using green electricity.

MAG’s National Chairman Neil Liversidge said: ‘We were not expecting the Minister to announce a U-turn on the policy in the meeting, but I can say that we have robustly presented the strength of feeling on the ICE ban.  We briefly discussed MAG’s alternative solution for the future of transport with rapid expansion of an electrified public transport system allied to a diverse range of technologies in the private motorised sector.  There are no reasons why electric and ICE vehicles cannot co-exist to create a diverse and resilient transport system. ‘

We are seeing Europe edging towards this reality, and the UK could lead the way.  We have agreed to submit a fleshed-out proposal to Jesse Norman that will both meet the Government’s ambitions and avoid destroying the economy and motorcycling culture in the process.’