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Mar 08, 2019

Decarbonising Transport, Working with Westminster

Rebecca Pow announced as new chair of the APPG on Electric Vehicles

  • Rebecca Pow MP has been announced as the new Chair for the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Electric Vehicles
  • The Rt Hon Dame Cheryl Gillan MP, who founded the group and served as its first chair, has become a Vice Chair
  • The group has changed its name from the APPG on Electric and Automated Vehicles to become the APPG on Electric Vehicles
  • REA CEO shines light on the role of women leading in a sector traditionally dominated by men

Rebecca Pow MP has been elected as the new Chair of the APPG on Electric Vehicles after being nominated by former Chair, the Rt Hon Dame Cheryl Gillan MP. Dame Cheryl announced that she would be stepping down as Chair after successfully establishing the group and supporting its membership growth to over 40 parliamentarians over the past year. She will continue to be involved in the APPG in her new role as Vice Chair.

Rebecca Pow is an avid sustainability champion with an impressive background in renewable energy and environmental matters having been a member of the Environmental Audit Committee and the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee. She is additionally an Officer of the APPG on Climate Change and a passionate advocate of the circular economy.

Ms Pow believes that electric vehicles will play a crucial role in the decarbonisation of the transport sector, that they represent a major opportunity for improving UK air quality and building new manufacturing capacity, and hold the capability of reducing consumer bills.

Change came for the group not only in the chair but also in the name. Following a number of calls from members of the APPG, the decision to remove the ‘Automated’ section of the APPG’s scope was passed. Whilst vehicle automation represents a major UK opportunity, it also implies a different set of regulatory and technological challenges. It is expected that the renewed focus of the group will lead to greater quality of events and information. The motion was unanimously carried seeing the APPG on Electric and Automated Vehicles become the APPG on Electric Vehicles.

Moving forward, the APPG has outlined three key areas of focus for the upcoming year, including:

  • Future battery and electric vehicle manufacturing, spanning both vehicle availability to consumers, prices, and future UK manufacturing capabilities
  • ‘Smart charging’ and other secondary legislation stemming from 2018’s Automated and Electric Vehicles Act, which is expected following the publication of the final report from the joint DfT, OLEV, and BEIS-supported EV Energy Taskforce.
  • Interoperability of public charging networks, and other public charging-related issues

The Rt Hon Dame Cheryl Gillan MP, former Chair of the APPG on Electric Vehicles commented:

“It has been extremely rewarding to Chair the APPG through its first year. In the past 14 months, membership has expanded greatly, our events have been a successful and well-attended, and the group has become an important forum for discussion within parliament and the industry.

“Now is an exciting time for not only the group but for the electric vehicles sector as a whole. I am eager to see how the group advances in the capable hands of Rebecca Pow and look forward to continuing to contribute to the progression of this vital technology through my role as Vice Chair.”

Rebecca Pow MP, Chair of the APPG on Electric Vehicles commented:

“As a longstanding environmentalist I am pleased to have been elected Chair of this timely and important group. Electric Vehicles represent one of the great industrial evolutions of our age and will play a key role in the battle against climate change and in tackling poor air quality.

“I thank Dame Cheryl for her role in breathing life into this group and look forward to diving into key issues facing this sector in the coming months.”

Dr Nina Skorupska CBE FEI, Chief Executive of the Renewable Energy Association commented:

“I am delighted that Rebecca Pow MP has been elected as the new Chair for the APPG on Electric Vehicles. Her green credentials and commitment to tackling climate change fills me with confidence that the APPG will continue to grow and develop.

“I am grateful for all the time and energy that Dame Cheryl dedicated to the APPG and I am pleased that she will continue to take an active role in her new position as Vice Chair. It is inspiring to see two ambitious and determined women leading in a sector that is traditionally dominated by men – even more so that the AGM took place in the days leading up to International Women’s Day.”

—ENDS—

For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

Hayley Allen
External Affairs Officer
+44 (0)20 7981 0862
[email protected]

Notes to editor

About the Renewable Energy Association (REA)

The REA is the UK’s largest trade association for renewable energy and clean technologies with around 550 members operating across heat, transport, and power. The REA is a not-for-profit organisation that represents renewable energy and clean technology companies operating in over fourteen sectors, ranging from biogas and renewable fuels to solar and electric vehicle charging. Membership ranges from major multinationals to sole traders.

The REA’s EV sector group is comprised of around 70 members delivering the critical infrastructure needed to deliver the transition to a zero emission car and van future. The REA additionally serves as secretariat to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Electric and Automated Vehicles.

For more information, visit: www.r-e-a.net