Almost a quarter of all new cars should be zero emission in just two years to support EVs
A group of automotive industry leaders is calling on the Government to accelerate plans to ensure 22 percent of new vehicles sold are zero emission by 2024.
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Battery manufacturers Britishvolt, alongside Ford, PodPoint, FairCharge and others, have written a letter to the Government calling for radical change to achieve net zero transport goals. The letter, which was written to Business Secretary Grant Shapps and Transport Secretary Mark Harper, demands the Government to “demonstrate climate leadership” in the decarbonisation of road transport.
In 2020, the Government announced that petrol and diesel cars and vans would be banned by 2030, followed by a similar ban on hybrid vehicles five years later.
With this ban, the UK is on track to be one of the leading G7 countries to transition to electric vehicles.
With COP27 ongoing in Egypt, many Governments are looking at the best options available to help them decarbonise transport and other sectors to meet net zero goals.
The letter stated that policy levers are now the most important thing, to enable manufacturers and customers to make the switch.
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It reads: “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.
“The benefits of the UK Government’s leadership on this issue are already visible.
“High-profile investments to support the EV transition in the UK have created and safeguarded thousands of jobs, with the prospect of many more to come.
“From research and vehicle design, to chargers and software; to energy services and the vital ongoing task of installing, supporting and maintaining the vehicles and networks: every corner of the UK has the opportunity to benefit from the transition.”
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The letter urges the Government to move quickly and bring forward legislation to ensure the mandate is operational from 2024, as originally intended.
It is understood that the design and ambition of the mandate is still being discussed within the Government and a consultation response is due “imminently”.
UK Government forecasts shows that an estimated 40,000 jobs would be created by the EV transition, with the prospect of many more.
In September, 17 percent of new cars sold were fully electric, showing clear growth compared to 11.6 percent for 2021.
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This puts the UK in sight of the 22 percent floor for 2024, as set out in the ZEV mandate consultation.
The industry argues this will provide a clear and dependable signal to infrastructure providers on EV supply, de-risking chargepoint investment decisions.
It argued that this is crucial to help the weekly installation rate of new public charging infrastructure, thus making EVs more accessible to Britons.
Concluding the letter, the signatories said it would welcome the chance to discuss the ZEV mandate with the Government as soon as possible.
The letter was also co-signed by Chargepoint, Char.gy, EO, MER UK, Osprey Charging, Octopus Electric Vehicles, New AutoMotive and EVA England.
The American state of California already has a ZEV mandate in place, which is designed to achieve long-term emission reduction goals.
This requires auto manufacturers to offer for sale specific numbers of the very cleanest cars available.
ZEV regulation is part of the broader Advanced Clean Cars package of regulations, a set of tailpipe regulations put in place to limit smog-forming and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
This was first adopted in 1990 and has been modified to reflect the state of technology.