Electric cars should be subject to a ‘tire tax’, says air quality adviser Business

Boris Johnson brandished Mr Khan’s latest proposals ‘another tax on families and businesses and white vans and the like, is going to hit people just when we’re trying to put more money in their pockets’.

Professor Lewis, also chairman of the Department for Transport’s Science Advisory Council, said: “When everyone has a low-emission vehicle, low-emission zones become a helpless control lever in trying to manage air pollution. air.

“A world where we [have] congested roads full of electric cars [also] is not particularly appealing… Even though they are electric, [they] will generate a lot of particles.

“At some point in the future, when most of these cars are gone, a different form of air pollution control” will likely be needed, he added.

“We have to plan how we are going to handle vehicles in big cities like London in the future when we have a fleet of largely electrified vehicles.”

Luke Bosdet, a spokesperson for AA, said he opposed the idea of ​​an electric vehicle tax that would deter them from replacing traditional gasoline or diesel vehicles.

“Electric vehicles don’t produce emissions from their tailpipes,” he said. “They represent a huge leap forward. Technology will evolve to reduce everything that comes from the tires. You shouldn’t dissuade people from buying electric cars.

Mr Khan’s plan to expand the Ulez area to the outskirts of the capital is due to come to fruition in 2023. His campaign to tackle harmful emissions follows the tragic death of Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, aged nine-year-old who became the first person in the UK to have air pollution listed as a cause of death.

Gareth Bacon, Tory MP for Orpington, has launched a petition to block the Mayor of London’s proposals.

He said: “If you are in the outskirts of London and you have a vehicle that does not meet the Ulez standard it will cost you and if you use this vehicle every day it will cost you an additional £ 4,500 a year . ”

A spokesman for the Mayor of London said: “Toxic air caused by traffic still leads to children growing up with stunted lungs and nearly 4,000 premature deaths a year – with the highest number of deaths attributable to air pollution in the outer boroughs of London, which the Ulez does not currently cover.The rate of improvement in air quality in the outskirts of London has also been slower than in central and central London. London.

“When evaluating the various options, the rising cost of living was a key consideration. With Londoners’ budgets under pressure, the mayor would not ask Londoners to pay more unless he is convinced it is justified to reduce pollution, save lives and protect health.