ZEV Mandate must remain, argues green lobby
A group of organisations invested in the electric vehicle market has urged the government not to soften ZEV Mandate sales targets.
The government is consulting with vehicle manufacturers around potential amendments to the ZEV Mandate, which sets increasing EV sales targets each year until 2030, when they must make up all new car sales.
However, BEAMA, ChargeUK, REA and UKSIF have united to call on the government to restate its commitment to these targets. It says confirmation that these targets will remain in place will spark new investment in the sector and encourage EV sales.
Last month around of quarter of new cars sales in the UK were electric, while the sale of used EVs is also rising as prices tumble.
ZEV Mandate targets
Yselkla Farmer, CEO of BEAMA said:
“We cannot underestimate the impact moving the goalposts again could have on UK investment and pace of electrification. We recently published our plans for a UK Industrial Strategy which makes a strong case for the growth opportunities stemming from this sector. A decision to back track on the ZEV mandate will be entirely counter to the UK’s longer term ambition to drive inward investment for manufacturing.”
Vicky Read, CEO of ChargeUK, added: “The ZEV Mandate is working. More and more new and used EVs are being sold as drivers embrace the switch to electric vehicles. ChargeUK members are keeping ahead of demand by rolling out the infrastructure to ensure drivers have access to the right charging solution in the right place.
“But this hasn’t happened by accident, our members have been able to put in the hard work confident the government backed their efforts. We need ministers to reconfirm that they will stand by the current ZEV mandate or they risk fatally spooking the very investors they say they are so keen to attract to the UK.”
