Zero Emissions Vehicles (ZEV) Mandate - the 2030 ICE ban is confirmed

We finally have clear direction and confirmation. The sale of new purely petrol or diesel cars will be banned from 2030. This comes against the backdrop of the government’s recent consultation on the Zero Emissions Vehicles (ZEV) Mandate, with over 600 responses received.

Three key highlights

What has the government announced? Here are three key highlights:

1.        The sale of ICE cars will be banned from 2030 (manufacturers who produce less than 2,500 vehicles a year are exempt).

2.        New plug-in hybrids (and ICE vans) will be on sale until 2035

3.        Fines for missing the ZEV Mandate manufacturer targets have dropped from £15,000 per car to £12,000

On the side of British business…

That’s what transport secretary Heidi Alexander had to say when the announcement was made. Let’s examine this a little further.

The ZEV Mandate states that this year at least 28% of every manufacturer’s cars, and 16 per cent of its vans, must be fully electric. Next year this figure rises to 33% for cars and 24% for vans. There are then further increments reaching 66%  for cars and 58% for vans in 2029.For every car that misses these targets, manufacturers risked being fined £15,000 per car this year. That has now been dropped to £12,000.

The government has also decided that hybrids also get an extra 5 years grace. There is much media speculation that this is down to lobbying from manufacturers like Nissan and Toyota, as both brands have large workforces in the UK making hybrids.  

Reaction to the 2030 ICE ban and announcement detail

Whilst Heidi Alexander says that this move will

“Protect and create jobs – making the UK a global automotive leader in the switch to EVs – all the while meeting our core manifesto commitment to phase out petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030,”

Steve Fowler, one of the UK’s best-known automotive journalists writing in The Independent, thinks it’s the wrong decision.  

He says:

“To me, it looks like the government has taken the appeasement option here, pleasing some of the people some of the time. If it really wants the UK to be ‘a global automotive leader in the switch to EVs’, it should have been stronger, only allowing new cars with plugs to be sold from 2030 onwards”.

Dominic Phinn, head of transport at Climate Group, agreed. Dominic commented:

“The UK’s ZEV mandate is a global success story which turned the UK into a leader in the transition of road transport. If we want to keep it that way, the government should bring together the energy, charging, and public sector, together with the car industry, to speed up, not slow down, the UK’s charging and grid infrastructure”.

Our Head of EV Charging, Graeme Patton, had this to say:

“We are obviously pleased with the confirmation that the sale of new, purely petrol or diesel cars will be banned from 2030. Whilst we would have preferred to see this applied to plug-in hybrids as well, we appreciate the wider implications for car manufacturers. Our mission remains firm however - to support the switch to electric vehicles in the quickest timeframe possible, with reliable, accessible EV charging infrastructure. We also hope there will be measures introduced to encourage even more drivers to make the switch”.

Vicky Read, CEO of ChargeUK feels the same. Speaking on Sky News she called for the Government to introduce measures to help drivers make the switch, including steps to make EVs and charging more affordable, boosting demand which would, in turn, deliver more charging infrastructure investment.

Time will tell what the government’s strategy is on that front, but what we can say for sure is that EV’s are here to stay. Driving electric is the present and the future and we’re committed to supporting businesses and drivers as they continue to make the switch.