ChargeUK, a newly established trade association, has penned a letter to Rishi Sunak urging him to “stand firm” on the Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV) Mandate.
The ZEV Mandate would require UK-based vehicle makers to ensure at least 22% of their new car sales and 10% of new vans are zero emissions in 2024. This will then rise incrementally each year to 80% for cars and 70% for vans in 2030, and 100% for both by 2035. Failing to deliver on this would lead to a £15,000 fine for every vehicle.
But recently the government has been under increasing pressure to delay the 2030 mandate.
It is infuriating to hear the Business Secretary saying she is listening to industry in delaying the 2030 ZEV mandate.
— James Court (@JamesRCourt) August 2, 2023
Charge UK (charging industry),
SMMT (car industry)
EV100 (fleet buying industry)
Energy U.K. (energy industry)
All saying a delay would be damaging.
ChargeUK stated in their letter that although the transition to ZEVs won’t occur overnight, a “strong mandate is equally important to secure the UK’s path towards a commercially sustainable automotive sector”.
The trade body’s members, which includes Be.EV, Believe, bp pulse, char.gy, ChargePoint, Connected Kerb, ESB, evyve, Fastned, Genie Point, Gridserve, Ionity, Mer, Osprey, Pod Point, PoGo Charge, RAW Charging and Shell Recharge, have all been investing in EV charging thanks to government support.
However, for ChargeUK’s members to reach its collective goal of investing £6 billion by 2030 in EV charging infrastructure, certainty surrounding legislation is paramount.
A crucial area discussed in the letter is the creation of the second-hand EV market, an area that Octopus EV’s has looked to expand into via a new second-hand salary sacrifice scheme, reported on Current± on Monday (31 July).
The ‘Nearly New’ leasing offer allows consumers to purchase second-hand (less than two-years old) EVs for considerably reduced costs. By offering cheaper alternatives to buying new EVs, the company is hoping to make driving electric more accessible.
Current± publisher Solar Media is hosting its EV World Congress event in London this 10-11 October. The conference will focus on some of the key discussion points from across the EV sector including delivering coherent EV charging strategies, whether the UK is on course for its 2030 charging target, vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology and more. More information, including how to attend, can be read here.
