Steve Double, Member of Parliament for St Austell and Newquay has welcomed the announcement from Volvo Cars that from 2018 all cars sold by Volvo will be battery powered or hybrid.
Commenting Steve said:
“No doubt other Manufacturers will follow, to meet the burgeoning growth in electric car sales. The Government took an early stance on this helping to boost the sale of these ultra-green cars to the extent that sales are now rocketing ahead here in the UK. Electric cars will soon be the norm. It is testament to the Government’s commitment in improving our environment. We will see further progress as more motorists turn to the green and clean technology of electric cars. That in turn will make a huge difference with lower pollution levels and cleaner air.”
“There will be a surge in battery production to cope with the demand from electric car sales and that's where the Cornish come in!”
Lithium, a key commodity used in the production of batteries and one of the rarest metals in the world has recently been discovered in the Duchy.
“There is the prospect that if there are sufficient volumes of lithium then extraction could begin in earnest. It would mean many new, well paid, high skilled jobs and a further boost to our local economy.”