BVRLA: Government must go further to win EV arms race

Commenting on Tuesday's announcement that the Government will consult on the introduction of a Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate next year, for introduction in 2024, BVRLA Chief Executive, Gerry Keaney, said:

“The empty supermarket shelves and stacked container ports we are currently seeing across the country demonstrate just how fragile global supply chains can be.

“The UK is in an electric vehicle arms race with the rest of the world and the Government believes a ZEV mandate will secure the millions of battery electric vehicle imports it needs to meet its ambitious phase-out deadline.

“We welcome the clarity that today’s announcement provides and look forward to helping policymakers’ deliver a simple and effective scheme.

“This is uncharted territory for the automotive industry, and it is vital that any future ZEV mandate includes a review mechanism to assess potential market failures. The mandate must also take account of the very different uptake trajectories seen between cars and vans.

“This announcement is all about maintaining electric vehicle supply, and it needs to be backed up by some equally ambitious policy measures aimed at delivering electric vehicle demand.

“We hope that next week’s Budget will see the Government commit to providing long-term financial support and tax incentives that will accelerate the roll-out of public and private charging infrastructure and absorb the price premium that many prospective electric vehicle users are still faced with.”

The BVRLA published its Road to Zero report card last month, which assesses progress towards zero emission fleets in terms of EV supply, EV demand and charging infrastructure.