A seven-strong panel of industry experts, chaired by RAC Foundation director Professor Stephen Glaister, was the centrepiece of the Institute of Car Fleet Management conference, held at the Mini production plant in Oxford.
A record 195 delegates heard debate and comment from the seven speakers in the Key Trends in Urban Mobility discussion session. Their key points were as follows:
. “There are three trends in urban mobility: increasing fuel cost, air pollution and carbon pollution. We see plug-in vehicles as one of the definite solutions going forward.” Caroline Watson, transport strategy manager – Energy Saving Trust
. “All the people in this room will have to change the way they behave, think and drive. Electric vehicles need an infrastructure but manufacturers aren’t helping because they’re not all using the same method of charging. We can also expect autonomous cars, where the vehicle will decide the speed and choose the route to avoid congestion.” Dr Colin Herron, managing director – Zero Carbon Futures
. “People are very unrealistic in their travel plans and the degree to which they overestimate the frequency of their long journeys, which impacts on their willingness to embrace new technologies.” Suzanne Gray, general manager – BMW Project i
. “The car club model is consistent with electric vehicles – it matches their use and allows people to sample before they buy.” David Martell, chief exec – Chargemaster
. “Emissions regulations have allowed tyre manufacturers a Seat at the table with car manufacturers as they know we can make a 7g/km difference by fitting the right tyre, which is the same as developing a new drivetrain.” Darren Lindsey, head of public affairs – Michelin Tyres
. “The £400m for ultra low-emission vehicles – sub-75g/km – in this parliament isn’t just a green policy: it’s more of an industrial one and about positioning the UK to take advantage of a unique opportunity. We’ll struggle to get below 50g/km from an internal combustion engine so the transition will happen and it will only happen once, so we need to make the most of it to make the UK the dominant market.” Richard Bruce, director – Office for Low Emissions Vehicles
. “Modern society cannot exist without mobility. The world is only 60 years into the biggest explosion of humanity ever seen – the population is 7bn today and will be at 9bn by 2015. We need to talk globally and a low-carbon future has to be the default. We must push the green message, people are resistant to being told what to do.” Professor Allan Hutchinson – Oxford Brookes University
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