Zero emission mandate plans for car manufacturers outlined

A Government zero-emission mandate on car manufacturers has been announced, ensuring that vehicle makers sell a certain proportion of zero-emission cars and vans each year from 2024.

Announced as part of the Government’s net-zero strategy – published today (Oct 19) – the mandate will require manufacturers to sell a certain number of zero-emission vehicles, helping to ensure that the planned end to the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 is followed.

As yet, the exact percentage of a manufacturer’s sales has yet to be agreed, however.

With #COP26 just weeks away, I’m pleased to announce an extra £620m to support the switch to electric along with an ambitious zero emission vehicle mandate to provide certainty for drivers and industry, creating economic growth, and boosting job opportunities across the UK⚡🚗

— Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) October 19, 2021

It forms a part of wide-sweeping measures, which include an extra £620 million in funding for the plug-in car grant and additional electric car charging infrastructure.

The investment will put particular focus on on-street residential charging, helping those EV owners who do not have access to off-street parking to charge their vehicles. An additional £350 million will be put aside to assist the UK automotive sector with electrifying its supply chain, too.

Edmund King, AA president, commented on the plans, saying: “The AA supports the moves towards Net Zero and believes that EV incentives can help us along that road.

As part of the UK's Net Zero Strategy, today we've announced that the UK will introduce a zero emission vehicle mandate setting targets for a percentage of manufacturers’ new car and van sales to be zero emission each year from 2024. 🚗⚡️🇬🇧https://t.co/Xa1AfVVo9w

— Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (@OZEVgovuk) October 19, 2021

“This new charge point funding targeted more at the 8 million households without dedicated off-street parking is a welcome step which will give power to electric drivers.

“With the cost of petrol and diesel rising, the desire to switch to electric is stronger than ever before. Should the Chancellor go a step further next week and scrap VAT on targeted new EV sales, he would deliver a truly electrifying Budget that could ‘Get Electric Done’.

“However, the introduction of a ‘Zero Emissions Vehicle Mandate’ is probably unnecessary. Manufacturers are already taking big steps in order to meet the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars and vans, but bringing in this ‘Red Tape’ exercise could harm car production plans already in place.”