Industry awaits Labour plans for UK EV policy ‘shambles’
29 July 2024
As auto retail ZEV Mandate pressures continue to mount, Birmingham University business economics professor David Bailey has slammed UK EV policy as being a “shambles… the industry and consumers wanted or needed a clear direction of travel to underpin confidence and therefore investment decisions. We haven’t had that. We’ve had so much mucking about.”
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes agrees that private EV demand has collapsed partly due to “the messages coming out of previous governments. Fleet and business buyers have incentives in place. In the private sector, there aren’t sufficient incentives”.
Consultancy group AlixPartners now predicts the UK will only reach 49% electrified new car sales by 2030 – a figure that includes hybrids and plug-in hybrids. “It’s very clear that, without further incentives… there will be little chance of achieving the 2030 target,” said senior partner Nick Parker.
The industry is now looking to Labour for a new sense of direction.
However, while Labour has vocally pledged to reinstate the 2030 ban on non-hybrid petrol and diesel cars, it was not included in the King’s Speech.
“We will provide certainty to manufacturers by restoring the 2030 phase-out date for new petrol and diesel cars and are committed to accelerating the rollout of electric vehicle charging infrastructure,” said a Department for Transport spokesman.
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