Air Pollution: Trial M4 50mph Limits Made Permanent

[WannabeOwner]

Motorway cut to 50mph to reduce pollution

"
The High Court had ordered ministers to act after they failed to meet EU targets on air pollution.

The Welsh Government has now confirmed the restrictions will stay permanently.

The 50mph limits are at the M4 Port Talbot, M4 Newport, A470 Pontypridd, A483 Wrexham and A494 Deeside."

So ... will EV drivers contest this? as happened in Austria:

Austria's New Higher Speed Limits for Electric Cars Is Our Kind of EV Incentive

that is saying it is an incentive for people to buy EVs ... btu my recollection is that people driving EVs, who got fined, contested it ... and won

 

[Rob R]

No doubt they would argue that the differential in speeds would be dangerous if EVs could drive at 70. But of course many HGVs drive at 50 or 60 in 70 zones without problems.
Probably you would also need special EV number plates.
But that said, Yes, demand EVs be exempt from any environmentally based taxes and restrictions (other than pure anti-congestion road pricing).

 

[RjbT3]

This is great news. With any luck EV drivers will get some real incentives which don't cost the other tax payers anything.

 

[interbear]

It would be an innovative idea for the UK govt to have different speed limits for EVs to encourage people to switch away from ICE vehicles but I won’t hold my breath. I doubt they’d consider let alone implement it. Also the road safety advocates would lobby against it I’m sure.

 

[WannabeOwner]

It would be an innovative idea for the UK govt to have different speed limits for EVs to encourage people to switch away from ICE vehicles

Interesting point, thanks. Extrapolating from today to [some years hence] when EVs are X% of all cars and pressure is mounting on Government on air quality / global warming / whatever, government could then easily say 50MPH limit for all ICE, 70 MPH only available for EV

 

[MrBadger]

It would be an innovative idea for the UK govt to have different speed limits for EVs to encourage people to switch away from ICE vehicles but I won’t hold my breath. I doubt they’d consider let alone implement it. Also the road safety advocates would lobby against it I’m sure.

I suspect there is a bigger picture going on. Last I heard, autonomous vehicles may get their own lane in some circumstances - or at least, those fitted with V2I and V2V communications to allow more dense driving scenarios - would be interesting to hear Teslas plans on supporting V2x as I think its an important function to allow autonomous vehicles to play nicely with each other and their surroundings.