Commenting on the announcements for ultra-low emission vehicles, David Raistrick, UK head of automotive for Deloitte, said: ‘Investments in the infrastructure for plug-in vehicles may lead to an increase in sales of electric vehicles in the UK. However, large scale take up of the electric option is more dependent on improvements in operating range and the price of these vehicles being more closely aligned with customer price expectations.’

On the subject of driverless cars, Raistrick commented: ‘The listing of Bristol, London, Milton Keynes and Coventry as the locations for driverless car trials commencing in 2014 suggests that these are the successful applicants for the pilot schemes announced earlier this year.  The success or failure of these driverless car trials will have a significant impact on the early adoption of the technology in the UK.’

And finally on the subject of the fuel duty freeze, he added: ‘It’s worth noting that the decrease in the oil price will have caused many motorists to expect the return of the fuel duty escalator, scrapped earlier in this Parliament. Therefore, the announcement of the fuel duty freeze remaining in place will have been a relief to private and business users alike.’