‘Families seeking to lower their driving bills by getting their hands on a cheap-to-run second-hand EV could be left stuck paying a £1,600 a year petrol premium simply because there aren’t enough electric cars to go round’
A weakening of electric vehicle sales rules could increase the cost of driving for millions of motorists, according to new research.
The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) has projected that around 2.7 million fewer second-hand electric vehicles (EVs) would be on offer from this year to 2034 if the zero emission vehicles (Zev) mandate is put on hold for two years.
This could mean many motorists may end up shelling out an extra £1,600 annually to run a petrol car instead of an EV, according to their analysis. Given that four in five car sales in the UK are for used vehicles, the availability of EVs in the pre- owned market is key to the transition to electric driving, the ECIU emphasises.
Researchers caution that any softening of the Zev mandate could dampen competition among manufacturers, leading to higher new EV prices and slower sales rates. Colin Walker, head of transport at the ECIU, commented: “Families seeking to lower their driving bills by getting their hands on a cheap-to-run second-hand EV could be left stuck paying a £1,600 a year petrol premium simply because there aren’t enough electric cars to go round.
“The Zev mandate, introduced by the last government and continued by the current one, has been incredibly successful at driving competition up and prices down leading to hundreds of thousands of new EVs on UK roads.” Mr Walker highlighted the UK’s position as Europe’s largest EV market, surpassing Germany in the move to more affordable and environmentally friendly electric driving.
“Parts of the car industry are pushing to slow the Zev mandate, but doing so could not only leave millions of families worse off, but stall investment in charging infrastructure and cost the UK hundreds of thousands of jobs.”
The Zev mandate stipulates that by 2024, at least 22% of new cars and 10% of new vans sold by each manufacturer in the UK must be zero-emission, typically meaning purely electric. These percentages are set to increase annually, for instance, to 28% of new cars and 16% of new vans this year, escalating to 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans by 2030.
Manufacturers who fail to comply with the mandate or utilise flexibilities – such as purchasing credits from competitor companies or increasing sales in future years – will face a penalty of £15,000 per polluting vehicle sold beyond the limits. The Government is currently reviewing feedback from a recent consultation on potential changes to these rules, which may include making it easier for non-compliant manufacturers to evade fines.