Rishi Sunak is sticking to plans requiring more than half of all new cars in the UK to be electric within five years despite delaying an outright ban on petrol and diesel cars by 2030.
Motorists are expected to be guided towards making their next purchase electric under the zero-emission vehicle mandate (ZEVM) scheme, which is expected to remain unchanged despite Mr Sunak’s net-zero U-turn last week.
It will require car makers to ensure 22 per cent of new cars sold in the UK next year are electric or hydrogen-fuelled – known as ‘zero-emission’ vehicles (ZEVs) – before jumping to 52 per cent by 2028.
And by 2035, 100 per cent of new car sales will be zero-emission – though petrol and diesel vehicles can still be traded on the second-hand market.
But experts predict that fossil-fuelled cars will ‘disappear from showrooms’ by 2030 because manufacturers are stepping up electric car production – meaning consumers will likely be forced into making the switch ahead of time anyway.
The ZEVM programme, announced during Boris Johnson’s tenure as PM, will fine car makers an expected £15,000 per car and £18,000 per van sold outside of the target that isn’t electric.
Car makers including BMW, Toyota and Ford are reported to have met with the government on Monday to be told the ZEVM targets remain the same, reports The Times. A formal decision is expected this week.
Experts predict that manufacturers will push new buyers heavily towards electric vehicles when they walk into showrooms – but have called on the government to better support the growth of the electric vehicle market despite delaying the ban on pure diesel and petrol cars.
Steve Gooding, director of motoring research charity the RAC Foundation, said: ‘With the zero emission vehicle mandate apparently going ahead as planned from 2024, the pressure will still be squarely on auto manufacturers to ramp up the supply of affordable battery electric vehicles and persuade car-buyers of their benefits.
‘Whilst the formal date for the end of new petrol and diesel sales will now be 2035, most look set to disappear from showrooms by 2030.
Read More: More than half of new cars sold in the UK will have to be electric within five years
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