Preparing the strategic road network for electric vehicles - a research programme

During the past five years there has been a gradual shift in the types of vehicles that are using UK roads, which is set to continue in the years and decades ahead. The government’s Driving the Future Today strategy, has set out a vision that almost every car and van in the UK will be an ultra low emission vehicle by 20501 . There is general consensus that the internal combustion engine will continue to play a role in road transport for many years, with improvements in fuel efficiency and increased hybridisation. However, as emissions targets become tighter and technologies continue to develop it is expected that ULEVs, including battery electric, plug-in hybrids and fuel cell electric vehicles will take an increasing share of the market for cars and vans.