The Government has today proposed action on the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate in the UK, in a significant step towards putting the phase-out of petrol and diesel cars into law. T&E welcomes this world-leading regulation, and applauds the ambition shown by the Government. This will provide certainty to the UK automotive sector and consumers, and will reduce the UK’s dependence on foreign oil. However, the government’s failure to make its proposed targets for cars more ambitious means regulation will be weaker than it needs to be, says T&E.
The ZEV mandate would set annual sales targets for manufacturers from 2024 to 2030, paving the way for all new car and truck sales to be zero emissions by 2035. In 2024, those targets will be 22% for cars and pickup trucks. 10% for trucks. These targets will be increased to 80% 70% in 2030, respectively.
The proposed path for cars only follows conservative estimates of what the market might do under a business-as-usual scenario. T&E recommends targets of at least 33% in 2024 to put the UK on an ambitious path for battery electric vehicles. Meanwhile, the proposed truck targets remain below the projected minimum of 15% for 2024, and 80% in 2030.
Richard Hebditch, UK T&E Director, said:The ZEV mandate sets a clear path to 100% zero-emission sales by 2035, providing much-needed certainty to consumers and industry. The question is no longer whether the days of the internal combustion engine are numbered, but how quickly we can get there.“
