He told POLITICO on Monday afternoon that at the time of the vote he was concerned about the availability of public electric vehicle charging points, but now welcomed government funding so councils could install more of local chargers.
Tomlinson was one of 28 Tory MPs who have already voted against electric vehicle legislation, alongside Craig Mackinlay – who leads a caucus of backbenchers protesting green policies – and former minister of Energy Jacob Rees-Mogg.
The zero-emission vehicle mandate – which took effect in January of this year – places an obligation on automakers to meet electric vehicle production targets. Manufacturers will be hit with a tax unless at least 22% of cars leaving their factories are electric this year, and that proportion will rise to 80% by 2030.
The mandate was adopted by a large majority of MPs thanks to the support of the Labor Party.
Secretary of State for Business and Commerce Kemi Badenoch also raised concerns that manufacturers are not yet ready to meet these targets. But the mandate is seen as key to reducing carbon emissions from road transport and encouraging investment in electric vehicle charging stations.
Tomlinson’s appointment comes as Sunak and Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho put net zero at the heart of their pitch to voters, pledging not to impose additional costs on households and drawing lines of key demarcations with the opposition Labor Party on green spending.
Politico
