Gov't to tell car makers how many EVs they have to sell

New mandated EV sales percentages are part of a wider push to net zero emissions

- JAMES ATTWOOD

The UK government will introduce a new mandate requiring manufacturers to sell an increasing percentage of zero-emission vehicles each year from 2024 as part of its wide-ranging new Net Zero Strategy – which also includes promises to cut the number of car journeys made in cities and to increase car sharing.

The report outlines how the government plans to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 with a series of commitments and measures across the economy. The government claims the overall strategy will secure 440,000 jobs and “unlock” £90 billion in investment by 2030.

A number of measures are aimed at tackling emissions from domestic transportation, which, government data shows, accounted for 23% of UK greenhouse gas emissions in 2019 – with 55% of that total (accounting for 68MtCO2e) due to car emissions.

The zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate is the most significant new policy and has been approved following a public consultation. From 2024 onwards, firms will be required to make a percentage of their annual sales zero-emission vehicles, with the amount increasing each year.