The Saab Biofuel Budget 2007

The Saab Biofuel Budget Report 2007 contains Saab Great Britain’s recommendations for how the UK Government can support its emerging biofuels industry, with the primary aim of reducing road transport emissions. Other advantages include ensuring security of energy supply and diversifying the rural economy.

Fossil fuels are a finite resource, and there is growing pressure on security of supply. The

promotion of bioethanol E85 in the road transport sector can help to reduce our economic
reliance on
fossil fuels by diversifying the supply of energy.
Saab would like to see the Government take the following measures:
Revise vehicle excise duty to reflect fully the well-to-wheel CO2 benefits of buying a flex-fuel car
Maintain and expand incentives to encourage the installation of bioethanol E85 refuelling infrastructure

Introduce a specific discount from company car tax for company car drivers opting to drive a flex-fuel car
Increase the RTFO target to more than 5% as an additional stimulus to the market for bioethanol E85
Increase and prolong the fuel duty rebate applied to bioethanol E85 in accordance with the Swedish example; in the UK the rebate is currently fixed at 20 pence per litre until the end of 2009 – in Sweden, the discount for bioethanol is around 30 pence per litre and fixed until 2011.

Saab also calls on local Governments to do the following:
Ensure that the well-to-wheel CO2 benefits of driving a flex-fuel car are fully integrated into any future revision of the London Congestion Charging Scheme
Similarly integrate those benefits into other local road pricing projects which differentiate vehicle charges according to emissions
Introduce additional local incentives to encourage drivers to opt for flex-fuel cars, such as discounts from city parking.

Due Motori