The Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate to Force a Rise in Electric Car Sales in Britain Becomes Law TODAY

New laws came into force today (3 January 2024) that will force car manufacturers to sell an increasing number of electric vehicles (EV) from this year until the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel engines in 2035.

Also called 'the' by the ministers the world's most ambitious regulatory framework for the transition to electric vehicles,” the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate is officially in effect and will require manufacturers to increase their share of battery car sales annually starting this year.

The law means that 22 percent of car registrations from every mainstream brand must be electric by 2024, with a scale-up to 28 percent next year and to 80 percent by the end of this decade – before rising to 100 percent by 2035.

Failure to meet the sales targets of the ZEV mandate could result in huge fines for carmakers of £15,000 per model below the required threshold.

The ZEV mandate also determines the The percentage of new zero-emission van manufacturers will need to switch each year, although the annual increase thresholds are lower than those for passenger cars.

The government sees the mandate as the best way to accelerate the shift to cleaner vehicles over the next decade, having recently postponed a ban on the sale of new models with combustion engines.

In October, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced he wanted to push the deadline for banning the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 to 2035. putting Britain on par with other major world economies such as France, Germany, Sweden and Canada.

This will “give consumers time to make the choice to switch to electric, and take our charging infrastructure to the next level,” the Department for Transport says.

And tThe government says analysis by the Climate Change Committee shows the Prime Minister's more pragmatic approach will not make a material difference to national progress in cutting emissions.

Ministers also believe the mandate is the best way to give the Treasury an accurate picture of how quickly it will lose revenue over the next 11 years from fuel duty, which will cost the exchequer £25.1 billion by 2022 contributed.

It should also force manufacturers to bring affordable battery models to market sooner, making EV ownership feasible for a broader spectrum of consumers.

To mark the introduction of the ZEV mandate into law, Minister for Technology and Decarbonisation Anthony Browne visited one of the newest BP Pulse EV charging points in the capital.

He said: 'As well as spending more than £2 billion on the transition to electric vehicles, our zero-emission vehicle mandate will further boost the economy and support manufacturers to secure skilled British jobs in the automotive industry.

'We are providing investment certainty to the charging sector to expand our charging network, which has already grown by 44 percent since this time last year.

“This will support the continually growing number of electric cars in Britain, which currently accounts for more than 16 percent of the new British car market.”

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) will publish the number of car registrations for the full year 2023 at the end of this week, which will also confirm the volume of EV sales and their existing market share – which is expected to be 8 percentage points below the requirement of the ZEV mandate for this year.

Electric future: The ZEV mandate will force automakers to sell an increasing number of electric vehicles between now and 2035

SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: “The industry is investing billions in decarbonising the economy and recognizes the importance of the zero-emission vehicle mandate in achieving net zero emissions.

'The regulations mean Britain maintains the most ambitious timeline of any major market to date, with no incentives for private consumers.

'Although manufacturers offer a wide range of zero-emission vehicles, demand must match supply.

'Achieving a thriving EV market means giving all consumers the confidence to invest, which requires an attractive tax incentive package, mandatory infrastructure targets and a consistent message that encourages drivers to switch now.'

Akira Kirton, vice president at BP Pulse UK, said: 'This mandate builds confidence in our strategy and confirms our plans to invest £1 billion over ten years to develop hundreds of EV charging hubs across the country by 2030 to boost charging capabilities in Britain. infrastructure.'

The mandate includes an allowance for manufacturers to sell non-ZEVs up to a certain percentage of their fleet of new cars and vans, with the intention that ZEVs will account for the remaining sales.

Any excess non-ZEV sales can be covered by purchasing allowances from other manufacturers, by using allowances from previous or future trading periods during the early years of the policy, or by offsetting with credits.

Manufacturers who fail to meet the targets face fines of £15,000 for each non-ZEV car and £18,000 per non-ZEV van.

Additional credits are offered for vehicles used by car clubs or for wheelchair accessible vehicles.

Although the government says the new law will also help households make the switch to electric cars, support the growth of the used electric car market and accelerate charging infrastructure, it has so far failed to act on the sector's call for additional incentives and VAT reductions for public cars. charging to further drive sales of battery-powered cars today.

With the Plug-in Car Grant closing in June 2022, the only incentives consumers can get are generous personal tax breaks for electric company cars, subsidies for electric vans and £350 towards the cost of charging points for flat dwellers.

On Tuesday it emerged that a government target for EV chargers near highways had not been achieved.

The DfT has set an ambition for there to be at least six fast or ultra-fast chargers at every highway service point in England by the end of 2023.

But only 46 of 119 locations (39 percent) met the target, according to the RAC analysis of data from charger search service Zapmap.

The DfT said the number of public charging points is 'rising across the country'.