How Theresa May plans to turn the UK into an zero-emission leader

Theresa May is to announce a £106m cash injection for the development of ultra-low emission vehicle (ULEV) technology, in a push to make the UK a world leader in green transport.

Addressing the Zero Emission Vehicle Summit in Birmingham today, the prime minister will say that Britain will “lead from the front” in the bid to make all new cars and vans “effectively zero-emissions by 2040”.

May is also expected to set a 2050 deadline for all vehicles, new and old, on Britain’s roads to be emission-free, Sky News reports.

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“I want to see Britain... working with industries and countries around the world to spearhead change,” she will say.

The extra funding will go towards “green vehicles, new batteries and low-carbon technology”, Auto Express reports.

A further £500m is expected to be invested by key industries in the sector, opening up as many as 1,000 new jobs nationwide, the motoring magazine adds.

“These measures will drive the design, use, uptake and infrastructure necessary for cleaner, greener vehicles - and in doing so, it will help us drastically reduce a major contributor to our global warming emissions,” May will tell the summit.

However, the director-general of the Confederation of British Industry, Carolyn Fairbairn, will argue that Britain needs to strengthen its ties with international partners if the country is to succeed in its push towards greener vehicles, The Independent reports.

“The transition to zero-emissions presents the greatest set of technical challenges since the space race,” Fairbairn is expected to tell delegates.