Ex-Shell Boss Lashes at Gas Guzzlers

A former boss of oil giant Shell has outraged the motor industry by calling for an EU-enforced ban on all new cars that return less than 35mpg this week.

Sir Mark Moody-Stuart, now chairman of the mining group Anglo American, wrote on a BBC Online blog that we must “ban gas-guzzlers and steadily increase the total efficiency of any vehicle sold.” However Moody-Stuart went on to stress that he’s not anti-high performance cars, and consumers should still be offered “the roomiest, vroomiest cars… as long as they meet the efficiency standard.” He continued: “You would be allowed to drive as Aston Martin – but only if it did 50-60mpg.” He added: “Nobody needs a car that does 10-15mpg.”

Moody-Stuart’s call to action is timely as the European Commission in Brussels continues to draft and debate regulations to limit average carbon emissions to 130kg/m by 2012. Provided the proposals pass a commission vote, they are expected to come into force later this year. The question is, would Mr Moody-Stuart ever have dreamed of espousing these points of view while he was still at the head of one of the world’s biggest oil suppliers? Probably not.