Electric Vehicles UK (EVUK), an industry-to-consumer accelerator for the EV sector, has called for the government to resist pressure to dilute the effectiveness of its flagship ZEV Mandate
EVUK, a coalition from across the EV industry which includes Polestar, Volvo, Tesla, Chery, Omoda, Jaecoo, Changan, and energy providers, charging, finance and insurance companies like Octopus and OVO, are working together to increase demand for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) through consumer advocacy, information campaigns and allowing EV experiences through test-drive events across the UK.
The call to protect momentum around the UK's EV targets comes after pre-Budget lobbying to weaken it for the second time this year. Other potential Budget policy measures also risk undermining business certainty and economic opportunity, despite growing evidence of demand for BEVs. New BEVs are now regularly accounting for more than 25% of all UK car sales, used-car sales are trending toward BEVs, and driver surveys show that more than nine in 10 drivers will never revert to combustion vehicles. The UK is on the verge of becoming a leader in zero-emissions vehicles, but to realise this potential, government policies need to provide support, continuing the progress that's already been made.
Matt Galvin, managing director at Polestar UK, said, "The Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate is a strong framework, which gives certainty and guidance to manufacturers to meet the 2030/35 deadline. Car companies have long product planning lifecycles, and now is not the time to change the mandate to which manufacturers have been planning for many years. Whilst weakening the framework is tempting due to mounting pressure from ICE manufacturers, a change in direction will be confusing to consumers who are now ready to seriously consider the switch, and potentially terminal to reaching the deadline."
Galvin added, "Most importantly, we now have the practical technology to remove tailpipe emissions on our roads, ultimately saving lives. EVs are already being accepted by consumers, with one in four cars sold in October being Battery Electric, and with only 1-3% of people returning to fossil-fuelled propulsion. With so much investment already committed to EVs by vehicle manufacturers and charging operators and with strong adoption now gaining momentum, holding our course now will deliver on our vital climate goals."
Tanya Sinclair, CEO of Electric Vehicles UK, said, "I'm delighted to lead this broad partnership of businesses from across the mobility sector. They come together for the first time to underscore how business-critical it is that our government makes consistent and ambitious policy for EVs. In the Budget and beyond, the enemy of business growth is policy instability. The rumours and unconfirmed plans around Motor Tax and the ZEV mandate need to be clarified once and for all, with the government backing UK industry to deliver an ambitious transition to electric vehicles. If the UK government gives us clarity of vision, we can give the UK driving public great EV products and services."
Dan Caesar, founder of Electric Vehicles UK, said, "Tweaks to the ZEV Mandate earlier this year have already been estimated to have cost up to 2 million battery EV sales (out of 6 million) by 2030, and the damage done to the embryonic EV sector has been substantial. To further dilute the targets, when industry as a whole is on track to meet them, and only because one or two legacy manufacturers have not heeded the inevitability of electrification, could be catastrophic for the industry, its adjacent sectors, and for the UK's economic growth. Data shows' electrification' is a global megatrend that the UK must take advantage of ahead of a generationally consequential general election in a few years time."
