Quota comes after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak watered down several of the U.K.’s short-term environmental targets.
LONDON — U.K. automakers will be forced to sell a strict quota of electric vehicles (EV) from next year, after a government announcement Thursday.
Britain’s Department for Transport confirmed the details of its Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate, which requires that 22 percent of all new cars and 10 percent of all new vans sold next year must be zero-emission.
This quota will increase gradually until it hits 80 percent in 2030, before all new cars sold are required to be zero-emission vehicles in 2035.
Advertisement AdvertisementManufacturers will be fined if they miss these targets, although the fine levied on vans that exceed the quota next year has been reduced from £18,000 to £9,000, government documents show, apparently in response to industry lobbying.
It comes after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak last week watered down several of the U.K.’s short-term environmental targets, including delaying the ban on sales of new combustion engine vehicles, which had been set to kick in from 2030.
Car companies have been desperate for clarity over the policy, with some saying that the 22 percent quota for 2024 will seriously damage production levels due to insufficient consumer demand for EVs.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “Our mandate provides certainty for manufacturers, benefits drivers by providing more options, and helps grow the economy by creating skilled jobs.
“We are also making it easier than ever to own an electric vehicle, from reaching record levels of chargepoints to providing tax relief for EV owners.”
Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, an industry body, welcomed clarity from government but noted it was “with less than 100 days to go” before the new rules are applied.
“Delivering the mandate will challenge the industry, despite the flexibilities now included to support pragmatic, equitable delivery given this diverse sector,” Hawes said.
This article has been amended to include further details on the plans.
