The government has announced that it may introduce a mandate for electric cars that will mean a certain proportion of a car manufacturer’s sales must be for EVs.
Revealed yesterday as part of the ‘UK’s path to net zero emissions’ by 2050, the government showed off its strategy to help drive down Britain’s carbon footprint in the years to come.
As part of this, large scale funding was announced for EVs, with an extra £350m being spent to support the electrification of UK vehicles and their supply chains. A further £620m is also set to be put aside to spend on grants for electric cars and infrastructure, with a push for more ‘local on-street residential charge points’.
One of the most interesting parts of the measures is the ‘zero emission vehicle mandate’, which the government says will ‘put thousands more zero emissions cars and vans on UK roads’.
Though limited detail has been announced about this mandate, it’s expected to mean that car manufacturers will have to sell a certain proportion of cars that have zero emissions. Though the exact proportion hasn’t been declared, the scheme is said to be the first of its kind in the world, and could prove a challenge for manufacturers that are yet to offer a zero-emissions model.
While some critics have argued that it could add further ‘red tape’ to proceedings, others have welcomed the announcement – not least Vauxhall’s managing director Paul Willcox.
He said: “Vauxhall welcomes the UK government’s announcement to implement a zero emission vehicle mandate which will provide clarity to the UK motor industry and the rest of the electric vehicle ecosystem, on the basis of a 360-degree approach.
“Vauxhall believes a ZEV mandate can work in the UK provided there are complementary targets on the other key parts of the electric vehicle ecosystem which are key to driving Britain to a more sustainable transport infrastructure.”
