Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1179886
3 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 27 OCTOBER 2019 NEWS Low emission cars: changeover must not burden motorists KARL AZZOPARDI MALTA'S shift to emission- free cars will be gradual and take place over a number years so as to not have a negative im- pact. Labour MEP Miriam Dalli, now tasked to oversee Malta's changeover to zero and low- emission vehicles (ZLEVs), has been at the forefront of a recent EU agreement to have cars and vans emit 37.5% less carbon dioxide by 2030. Next year, the government will announce the date on which Malta will halt the im- portation and sale of fossil fuel powered cars. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said he wants Malta to be one of the first countries in Europe to switch its vehicles to electric, suggest- ing a changeover over the next 10 or 20 years. The prospect raises the issue of whether consumers should be planning ahead to buy elec- tric cars, which also carry a hefty price tag. But Dalli says Malta should not be constrained with just one technology. "That is why we will be studying techno- logical advancements while analysing social and economic factors," Dalli said, adding that more electric-powered, hy- drogen-powered and plug-in hybrids will all be made more available on the market within the next years. Dalli, whose emission-reduc- tion law inspired a European- wide political course, predicts that more major car companies will be investing in emission- free vehicles – a factor that has ramifications for the cost of these vehicles. "The number of available plug-in hybrids and electric cars in 2019 stand at 60; by the end of 2020 we will have 176 car models, and by 2025 we will have 333 models available on the market," she said. What this could mean for consumers is greater choice, and hopefully lower prices. As of June 2019, 3,280 cars on Maltese roads were either hy- brids or electric vehicles, and Dalli insists that the numbers will continue to rise. "People who have cars which work with an internal combustion engine, will need to replace it, and we as policymakers must guarantee that when that time comes, the prices of emission free vehicles are as affordable as combustion powered auto- mobiles," she said. Yet the changeover to electric and hybrid vehicles also opens up an infrastructural chal- lenge. Where will motorists be able to charge their vehicles, how fast will charging take – as opposed to the one-minute fill- ing up of a car – and what will people without home charging points or garages do? Dalli agrees that there will be the need for more charging points on the island as more electric vehicles are intro- duced on Maltese roads. "Our job in the coming months will be that of ensuring that people who switch to electric vehicles have the appropriate facilities to make that switch, while also enjoying affordable and rea- sonable prices." While the switch to alterna- tive mobility will contribute towards mitigating the world's climate emergency, on the oth- er end of the spectrum, people who make a living off the in- dustry may have to reinvent the way they approach their job. Veteran mechanic Raymond Cutajar, who has been in the trade for over 40 years, says there will be plenty of time for professional reskilling, and that while components related to the traditional engine will change, the car's other parts, such as braking systems and suspensions, will not change radically. "Mechanics who work with car importers will have an advantage over those who don't, for these compa- nies want to ensure proper after-sale service on these cars. They will be trained on emerg- ing technologies, keeping them ahead of the curve on electric powered vehicles." A less enthusiastic supporter of the changeover is Alfred Farrugia, president of the Malta Automobile Club, who thinks it should be the market that guides consumers to elec- tric vehicles, rather than the government. "I do believe that there will come a time when people will choose alterna- tive mobility to the traditional combustion engine, but the government shouldn't make that decision for us," he said. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 and devise new planning rules to extend Malta's devel- opment ambitions. But just a few weeks ago, Buttigieg was faced with criti- cism from inside government over allegations of sensitive leaks originating from inside the PA over controversial planning permits on specific projects. Debilitated by his frigid re- lationship with transport and planning minister Ian Borg, Buttigieg said he would ter- minate his employment but would consider taking up a high-level post at a govern- ment agency – preferably at the MTA or Mater Dei. "He has been an indispen- sable key person in reviving the construction industry in Malta, but recent events made it difficult for him to contin- ue in his post. The decision to terminate his role at the Planning Authority was his and his alone," MaltaToday's source said. Buttigieg was appointed CEO of the Planning Author- ity in 2013, before presiding over its demerger and ap- pointed as its executive chair- man. Buttigieg was earning a ba- sic salary of €83,324, topped up with a €7,000 car allow- ance, chauffeur, paid fuel and car service, as well as a fully expensed mobile phone and €600 home telephone and in- ternet allowance, and a mem- bership fee in a professional body. Buttigieg was also eli- gible for a 15% performance bonus at the end of the year that brings his salary up to over €95,000 annually – one of the highest salaries paid to government officials – and a significant 50% bump over his salary back in 2013. The executive chairperson may only be dismissed by a resolution of the House of Representatives at any time "for a just cause". The law also specifies that failure to achieve "the targets and ob- jectives set for him by the Minister" amount to a just cause for dismissal. Thinking of making the switch to electric? Such an important choice will depend on pricing and the availability of fast charging stations Labour MEP Miriam Dalli, now tasked to oversee Malta's changeover to zero and low-emission vehicles (ZLEVs), has been at the forefront of a recent EU agreement to have cars and vans emit 37.5% less carbon dioxide by 2030 Buttigieg wants top public post Johann Buttigieg