ZEV Mandate puts future UK investment at risk – Nissan
Nissan has said the ZEV Mandate is outdated and risks future UK investment after the government confirmed it remains committed to the 2030 deadline.
Transport Secretary Louise Haigh and Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds met vehicle manufacturers including Stellantis, Nissan and Ford this week to discuss the transition to electric vehicles.
Following the meeting, a government spokesperson said: “The government is committed to reinstating the 2030 phase-out of cars solely powered by internal combustion engines and delivering the ZEV transition in a way that also supports UK economic growth. We underlined the government’s commitment to working constructively and in close partnership with the sector as we support the transition to electric vehicles by 2030.”
However, Nissan has called the ZEV Mandate targets outdated and said they ‘undermine the business case’ for UK investment.
ZEV Mandate ‘outdated’
Nissan’s European chief Guillaume Cartier said: “Nissan has consistently supported the aims of the UK’s ZEV Mandate and have been working with Governments and partners towards a fully electric future since the first Nissan Leaf arrived in 2010.
“The Mandate risks undermining the business case for manufacturing cars in the UK, and the viability of thousands of jobs and billions of pounds in investment. We now need to see urgent action from the Government by the end of the year to avoid a potentially irreversible impact on the UK automotive sector.”
This comes after Ford announced 800 UK job cuts due to falling EV sales.
The ZEV Mandate stipulates that 22% of new cars sold in the UK must electric this year, with the percentage rising incrementally to reach 100% by 2030. Manufacturers face fines of £15,000 for every ICE unit sold above the quota.
