Why Brown thinks we should all be happy that fuel costs are sky-high

Gordon Brown wants to see petrol-driven cars off the roads within 12 years as evidence that Britain can break its addiction to oil.

The Prime Minister, hailing a climate change agreement by world leaders at the G8 summit in Japan yesterday, insisted all new vehicles could be powered by electric or hybrid engines by 2020.

The driving force to achieve that goal, he suggested, would be fuel costs and road taxes.

But the argument that soaring oil prices could benefit drivers in the long term appeared a high-risk strategy at a time when motorists are suffering like never before.

Mr Brown also risked further alienating drivers with a robust defence of higher road tax charges for vehicles with higher emissions - and zero rates for cleaner cars.

That will be seen as a signal that Labour plans for more vehicle excise duty rises on larger cars - thought to have been dumped - are still on the Government's agenda.

Mr Brown added that he would like to see petrol prices drop to 'a reasonable level', but the AA warned his comments could bring a backlash from drivers.

'Motorists are already suffering from very high prices. This just piles on the pain,' said spokesman Paul Watters.

The Prime Minister, who also wants motorists to learn 'eco-driving' techniques that reduce petrol use as part of an energy-saving campaign, insisted the future lay in switching to hybrid and electric vehicles.

'I think a combination of car licence and petrol costs could, if we develop the new technology, be to the benefit of car drivers,' he said.

There would be incentives for ordinary families to adopt hybrid cars, he added. 'I genuinely think that this new technology - hybrids and so on - is there to be adopted widely to the benefit of the ordinary family, to change the family car and make it far more energy efficient and, over time, make it cheaper to use energy.'

He said: 'We in Britain have a target for 2020 to reduce average CO2 emissions for new cars to 100g per kilometre. That leads to the hybrid car, the electric car and the plug-in car.

'The general view is we can move quickly. This is not the odd vehicle that would be a hybrid but vehicles that are family cars.'

Green machine: A Toyota Prius

Mr Brown strongly defended rises in vehicle excise duty for motorists who insist on driving gas-guzzlers.

'In 1997 when we came into power the licence fee for every car was exactly the same. Now there is a range of licence fees,' he said.

'If you have a 100g per kilometre car you don't pay a licence fee at all. Most new cars will be below 100g, therefore they will not pay any licence fee.'

Mr Brown insisted that no walk of life will escape the drive to cut energy use as Britain attempts to lead the way by transforming itself into a low-carbon economy.

Educating drivers in 'eco-driving techniques' would, for example, involve learning how tyre pressure and accelerating or braking at the right time can cut fuel consumption.

From September, 'eco-driving techniques' will be included in driving tests. Candidates are already asked questions on eco-driving as part of the theory test and from September it will form part of the practical test.

Candidates will not fail if their driving is not considered eco-friendly, but the examiner will provide feedback at the end of the test.

Mr Brown spoke as G8 leaders agreed to aim for a global target of cutting carbon emissions by 50 per cent by 2050 to reverse global warming. But the U.S. refused to set any interim targets for the cuts - and green groups condemned the progress as 'pathetic' and 'futile'.

Friends of the Earth said: 'G8 leaders today signalled their support for climate chaos by spewing futile rhetoric that will do nothing to stop the toll that global warming is taking on people and the planet.'