- The UK government is reportedly considering adjustments to the ZEV mandate, following lobbying from automotive OEMs such as Nissan.
- UK Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds told The Times newspaper that a ‘substantial change of policy’ had been agreed following a meeting with Nissan.
- The Labour government has previously planned to bring forward the 2035 ZEV mandate on new petrol and diesel cars to 2030, but with these ‘substantial’ changes set to take place, it remains to be seen whether that commitment will remain.
UK government primed to make ‘substantial’ changes to ZEV mandate policy
The news follows an industry consultation on the ZEV mandate, which closed in mid-February. Despite Nissan warning that current policy would be a ‘risk’ to the future of its UK-based Sunderland factory, the previous weeks have seen other industry leaders warning against any weakening of current mandates – with such words echoed by groups such as ChargeUK.
The possibility of flexibilities to the mandate has been discussed since last November, but it remains to be seen what exactly this new change in policy will be. However, Nissan themselves recently suggested a two-year grace on the ZEV mandate, in which period, fines for not complying would be waived.
Despite this supposed weakening in the ZEV mandate, there are still other positive signs from national and local government when it comes to the emobility transition. The Department for Transport recently committed an additional £120 million to supercharge the rollout of electric vans, taxis, and motorcycles, while the government also extended the UK’s Workplace Charging Scheme for another year – making it even easier for more drivers to commit to a fully-electric vehicle. Let’s not also forget that used electric cars are currently the fastest selling fuel type, highlighting the consumer demand for such vehicles.
These recent industry uncertainties were also cited by BMW Group as a cause to temporarily pause progress on an EV production line for its MINI Oxford plant. Once these new adjustments are confirmed by the government, however, we should expect to hear more from BMW Group on the exact timeframe for resuming this key UK emobility project.
It’s not just in the United Kingdom where automakers have successfully lobbied officials to make changes to emissions-related policy. Just last week, the European Union introduced extra flexibilities into its 2035 mandate, introducing a two-year grace period for the automotive emissions targets set this year. That move was welcomed by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA).
