Saab calls for Government to make up its mind

Date: 14 September 2007   |   Author: Hugh Hunston

Biofuel can be blended in small amounts with petrol and diesel with little or no modification to existing engines.

Saab's managing director Jan-Ake Jonsson has called on the UK Government to make up its mind about possible positive taxation discrimination in favour of E85.

He said: "They have to make up their mind what they are going to do and how they will contribute to the CO2 issue in terms of fuel supply infrastructure."

Jonsson said that while 16 E85 pumps existed in the UK and a further 21 are due to open by the end of this year Sweden, with strong fiscal and social encouragement, has 900 and France's tally is growing rapidly from the current level of 127.

"The strong UK fleet market can make a tremendous difference, starting with the government's own fleet of vehicles," added the Saab boss who also questioned why London's Mayor Ken Livingstone "has still not got to the point with E85 to grant it exemption from congestion charges. That is strange."

Subscribe