By 2027, all government-owned vehicles in the UK will transition to electric models. However, it appears that Keir Starmer's gas-consuming Range Rover is an exception to this rule.
The government has announced its intentions to ditch its petrol and diesel cars in favor of EVs within the next three years, yet certain exceptions will apply - most notably for the PM's gas-guzzling Range Rovers.
In their latest strategy, titled "Decarbonising transport: A greener Britain," the Department for Transport vows to have all central government cars and vans be zero-emission by the end of 2027. This deadline is two years earlier than the planned ban on new petrol and diesel passenger car sales and seven years prior to the outlawing of new combustion vans.
The obligations stretch beyond central government. Arm's length bodies, including organizations such as the DVLA, Met Office, and HMRC, will also be required to transition their fleets of vehicles to zero-emission. This conversion entails some 30,000 motors, making the government one of the UK's largest owner-operated vehicle fleets.
However, certain vehicles will be exempt from the 2027 rule, including armored cars. Among these are the PM's protective and imposing Range Rover Sentinels. The DfT confirms that, despite its commitment to zero-emission vehicles, the PM's armored Range Rover gets a pass.
The latest Range Rover Sentinel, unveiled in 2019, is a heavy-duty vehicle that safeguards VIPs like the PM. It is equipped with over a tonne of armoring and bulletproof glass, making it weigh more than three tonnes. While it is fitted with a 375bhp 5.0-liter Supercharged V8 petrol engine, it performs far from spectacularly considering its bulk, achieving 0-60 mph in almost 10 seconds and reaching a top speed of 120 mph.
With an estimated fuel efficiency of less than 20 mpg and carbon emissions exceeding 300g/km, the Range Rover Sentinel is far from eco-friendly and poses practical challenges for electrification. Nonetheless, as the PM's safety comes first, the Government has found it necessary to exempt these vehicles from its zero-emission mandate.
In fact, electric armored vehicles face particular difficulties in both practicality and technicality. The sector tasked with bomb-proofing vehicles confronts challenges without established government regulations surrounding electric vehicle modifications, making the process significantly more complicated. Additionally, integrating a large, bomb-proof battery and complying with protection standards while meeting electric requirements presents technical hurdles that have yet to be fully addressed.
Furthermore, maintaining the performance and reliability essential for security and protection is challenging with electric alternatives due to the power given by engines like the V8 used in the Range Rover Sentinel. Electric vehicles have yet to demonstrate the capability to match these criteria in armored vehicles.
In summary, the government has provided an exemption for armored vehicles like the PM's Range Rover Sentinel for practical and technical reasons, allowing them to continue using conventional internal combustion engines beyond the 2027 commitment deadline.
- The government's 2027 commitment to converting vehicle fleets to zero-emission does not extend to armored vehicles, such as the PM's Range Rover Sentinel, due to practical and technical challenges.
- The latest strategy by the Department for Transport, "Decarbonising transport: A greener Britain," includes an exemption for certain vehicles, including armored vehicles, from the zero-emission mandate.
- Despite the government's push for eco-friendly vehicles, the Range Rover Sentinel, which is equipped with a petrol engine and has limited fuel efficiency, has been exempted from the zero-emission mandate for the PM's safety.
- The finance and insurance sectors may need to accommodate the continued use of petrol-driven armored vehicles like the Range Rover Sentinel beyond the 2027 deadline, given the practical and technical difficulties associated with electric armored vehicles.
