Professor Andrew Graves, a car expert at the University of Bath, said building more roads will not halt the threat of congestion.
He said: “The more roads you build, the quicker you’ll fill them up.”
Cutbacks in public transport projects, such as the HS2 high-speed rail network, could also put pressure on Britain’s roads, he said.
The government report said that because zero-emissions vehicles have lower running costs than petrol and diesel equivalents, “there may be a resultant increase in miles driven.”
However, it added that an increased number of traffic jams could ultimately deter drivers from making some journeys.
Ministers’ plan for the adoption of electric cars, called the ZEV mandate, will require 22pc of cars sold by manufacturers to be electric from next year. By 2030, that quota will rise to 80pc.
Carmakers that cannot hit the annual targets must either sell more electric vehicles in future years, purchase credits from rivals or pay a fine of £15,000 per car.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s delay to the petrol car ban from 2030 to 2035 triggered a mixed response from carmakers, with Ford warning it was a “mistake”, while Toyota said the decision was pragmatic.
Some car manufacturers have warned that they will be unable to meet the ZEV targets in the first year and have urged policymakers to relax them.
Others have raised fears that the Prime Minister’s decision to push back the ban on petrol car sales will dampen consumer interest in electric cars.
Robert Johnson is a UK-based business writer specializing in finance and entrepreneurship. With an eye for market trends and a keen interest in the corporate world, he offers readers valuable insights into business developments.
