By ROB HULL
The Government has released new details of its pledge to ditch its fleet of petrol and diesel vehicles and switch to EVs within the next three years - but has revealed the Range Rovers used to ferry the Prime Minister will remain.
The Department for Transport this month released details of its Decarbonising transport: a better, greener Britain strategy, which includes all central government cars and vans being zero emissions by the end of 2027.
This istwo years earlier than ministers will impose a ban on sales of new petrol and diesel passenger cars and seven years before new combustion vans are outlawed.
It also outlines the requirement to replace the combustion-engine fleet of vehicles used by 'arm's length bodies', which includes cars and vans owned and leased by the likes of the DVLA, Met Office and HMRC.
In total, it amounts to some 30,000 motors, with the Government having one of the largest owner-operated vehicle fleets in the UK.
But there will be exemptions from the rule - not least for Sir Keir Starmer's transportation.
Among the types of vehicle receiving immunity are armoured cars, such as the PM's gas-guzzling V8 Range Rover Sentinel limos, which weigh more than three tonnes.
The DfT said in its latest update that the government ‘has an important role to play in leading the transition to zero emission vehicles’ but the PM's Range Rover gets an out
The Government’s commitment to transitioning to a zero-emission fleet dates back to 2017, when the Tories first promised to electrify a quarter of cars in central government department fleets by 2022.
However, new guidance published by the DfT earlier this month not only reiterated a deadline to electrify 100 per cent of its cars and vans by the close of 2027 but also those used by arm’s length bodies (ALBs).
There are three tyres of ALBs: executive agencies (like the DVLA and Met Office), non-departmental public bodies (including the British Council and the Environment Agency) and non-ministerial departments (such as HMRC and the Food Standards Agency).
The rules also apply to any other non-market bodies mainly controlled and financed by one or more central government departments.
The commitment is for both vehicles owned and leased by these divisions and even any car or van hired by them for six days or longer.
However, not all the motors within its 30,000-strong fleet are required to be entirely battery powered, with a number of exemptions in place.
Some Government departments have already deployed a number of EVs. National Highways, for instance, has acquired 18 Toyota Proace Electric vans
All cars and vans owned or leased by central government and 'arm's length bodies must be zero emissions by the end of 2027
National Highways has also taken delivery of 91 Toyota bZ4X electric SUVs. These only make up a fraction of this government department's 1,300 fleet of vehicles
Among these is vehicles not used for road transport – for instance, cars utilised for training and testing – as well as those that are predominantly driven outside the UK and ‘emergency response’ vehicles with blue flashing lights, like those used to escort the PM and other dignitaries.
But one of the most notable exemptions is for armoured cars, which includes the Range Rover Sentinels responsible for shuttling the PM around the country.
And this bespoke vehicle might just be one of the most polluting cars among the Government’s fleet.
The latest Range Rover Sentinel, launched in 2019 by Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations with a starting price of £380,000, is based on the previous-generation Range Rover and is a bullet-proof vehicle designed to protect VIPs.
Out-of-Range Rover: This is the Sentinel, a 3.5-tonne armour-plated SUV designed to safe-guard dignitaries and A-listers and shuttle the PM around the country in supreme safety
The Land Rover has over a tonne of armour plating coating the body and bulletproof glass
Under the bonnet is a 375bhp 5.0-litre Supercharged V8 petrol engine.
That's not to say it's super rapid, though; it takes almost 10 seconds (9.8 seconds) to hit 60mph and has a top speed of just 120mph due to the sheer bulk of the armoured bodywork plating - the Sentinel's greatest weapon in its arsenal - anchoring its performance.
This – along with its bulletproof glass - weighs more than a tonne on top of the Range’s already hefty 2.2-tonne mass.
While Land Rover doesn't publish economy figures, it's unlikely to return over 20mpg and have CO2 emissions in excess of 300g/km – around three times that of a conventional small hatchback.
Land Rover says the protection cell is built in accordance with full ballistic and blast certification and can withstand everything from gunfire to IED blasts
Range Rover Sentinels are fitted with 5.0-litre V8 engines - not what you'd call frugal or green
The Range Rover Sentinel is one of the most advanced protection vehicles out there, though.
While it might look like a standard luxury SUV, it is fitted it with a protection cell built in accordance to ballistic and blast certification.
That means it can withstand all kinds of modern and unconventional forms of attack, from gunfire to an improvised explosive device (IED) fragmentation blast.
Due to the fragile nature of details about the protection levels supplied to the Prime Minister – and Jaguar Land Rover’s privacy for customers – the full specification of the Government-issued Sentinels are not known exactly.
While officials could argue that the protection of the PM is of the utmost importance beyond that of the Government's EV commitment, there is already an armoured electric limousine on the market.
BMW launched its i7 Protection in 2023, which comes equipped with protective glass and bodywork that can withstand gunfire and a reinforced chassis and protective shell that can protect occupants against explosives.
Like the Range Rover Sentinel, it exceeds three tonnes on the scale.
And while BMW hasn't clarified its official range, it has quoted an efficiency figure of 2.0 miles per kWh.
Assuming the i7 Protection uses the same 105kWh battery as the showroom version, the full-charge range will slip from 387 miles to something closer to 200 miles - so just about enough to transport the PM from London to Leeds before needing a recharge.
Insiders suggest such limited ranges from armoured EVs - as well as the time required to charge them - fails to fulfill the Government's use case criteria for transporting its most protected individuals.
The Range Rover Sentinel can go off the beaten track - including submerged in water - to evade an ambush (seen here testing)
To ensure those inside are protected, the SUV's armour weighs a tonne - that's around the same as a city car, plus the Range Rover's already hefty 2.2-tonne mass as standard
There's a whole wealth of extra options, including a siren and light kit that will be the must-have choice for those used to protect diplomats, royalty and the PM
There is an armoured electric limo already available on the market - the BMW i7 Protection, launched in 2023 - but insiders suggest it doesn't meet the criteria required for official Government use to protect the PM
The glass used in the armoured luxury BMW meets the criteria for 'VPAM 10 classification', which is said to be the highest level there is for civilian protection vehicles
The DfT said in its latest update that the government ‘has an important role to play in leading the transition to zero emission vehicles’ and as part of this has made a’ public commitment’ to have a 100 per cent EV fleet by the end of 2027.
'The fleet commitment forms part of the wider greening government commitments reporting framework,' it says.
‘The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs administers the GGCs, while the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles retains policy ownership of the fleet commitment.’
However, reporting organisations can apply for an exemption from the 2027 EV rules but they must do so by the end of May.
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