Europcar responds to reports that the government will review the objectives of the ZEV mandate | News

Responding to reports that the government plans to relax the 2030 ZEV mandate target, Tom Middleditch, Sustainability Spokesperson at Europcar Mobility Group UK, said: “Relieving pressure on manufacturers makes sense. OEMs have been telling us for months that the current trajectory is becoming unworkable, and a more realistic supply-side target should help stabilize the market for anyone buying vehicles at scale.

“However, shifting targets will not solve the bigger problem of demand creation – it could even suppress it further and we must remember that the main reason for switching to electricity is the vital benefits to the environment and local air quality.

“The government is doing little to clear up the confusion that is likely to hold buyers back. The EV per kilometer charge is on the agenda for 2028 and benefit-in-kind incentives that have done more than anything to drive EV uptake are being steadily scaled back. Earlier this year, subsidies for installing home chargers were also changed.

“The message to businesses, or anyone considering an electric vehicle, is at best confusing, and at worst it seems like the government is quietly taking a step back from the switch to electric just as the market is gaining momentum.
“If the Government wants a slower and more stable path, we understand that. But it must be a coherent path. Relieving pressure on manufacturers while making it more expensive and less convenient for ordinary drivers to go electric is not a balanced transition, it is a contradiction. We urge the Government to view this policy as a package, not in isolation, and to ensure that any changes resulting from this review still make a clear, positive case for the move to electric.

“The constant cutting and changing of policies is not only bad for demand for electric cars, it also creates uncertainty that is bad for business and economic growth.”