Government urged to sign off policy ensuring more EVs are on the road by 2024
A string of large electric vehicle (EV) players are lobbying the government to ink a mandate which would ensure a certain proportion of cars on the road in the UK are electric by 2024.
A dozen businesses, including Ford, Britishvolt and Pod Point, have written to transport secretary Mark Harper and business minister Grant Shapps urging action just days after COP27, the UN’s flagship climate conference, kicked off in Egypt.
“An ambitious Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate would guarantee a minimum proportion of electric vehicles on the road from 2024 and provide a clear signal and trajectory to infrastructure investors to accelerate the charge-point roll-out,” they wrote.
“We understand that the design and ambition of mandate is still being discussed within government and a consultation response is due imminently. We urge the government to move quickly and bring forward legislation to ensure the mandate is operational from 2024, as originally intended.”
The UK has already agreed to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans from 2035.
The group encouraged ministers to protect the current ZEV mandate trajectory by “limiting the flexibilities allowed” under it, to avoid weaking the broader investment signal.