Royal Academy of Engineering: electric vehicles "charged with potential"

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"Electric vehicles hold the promise, if widely adopted, of drastically reducing carbon emissions from surface transport and could, therefore, form a major plank in the UK’s efforts to meet the binding emissions reduction targets enshrined in the 2008 Climate Change Act.

Most credible energy scenarios for the UK based on the earlier CO2emissions reduction targets of 60% compared to 1990 levels strategically allocated all emissions savings to other sectors of the UK economy, allowing the majority of road transport to be powered by fossil fuels. The revision of the emission reduction targets to 80% means that this is no longer an option and we now need radical changes in the way we power and use transport. Any likely future UK energy system will almost certainly involve the electrification of a significant proportion of the transport system. The most likely scenario for the development of electric vehicles is probably a mixture of Plug in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs)and pure Electric Vehicles (EVs) on the roads.

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The current contribution of renewable and low-carbon generation to the UK's energy supply is one of the lowest in Europe. If the UK is to meet its renewable targets, and ensure a 'greener' power supply to electric cars, a range of new low-carbon energy sources will be needed, including new nuclear power stations, wind farms and tidal barrages. Creating this new energy system will require a massive change programme and robust leadership by Government."

http://www.raeng.org.uk/ev