ChargeUK, which describes itself as the voice of the UK's EV charging infrastructure industry, wrote to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on 2 August 2023 urging him to "stand firm" on the transition to electric vehicles1. The organisation said its 23 members are investing over £6 billion to 2030 in rolling out EV charging infrastructure1.
ChargeUK said it welcomed the Prime Minister's commitment to 2030 as the start date for the gradual phase out of petrol and diesel cars, but highlighted the need for certainty to support investment, jobs and the wider transition to electric transport1. It warned that current policy uncertainty puts that investment and the jobs that go with it in danger, and jeopardises the government's ambition to deliver the charging infrastructure it describes as fundamental to delivering net zero road transport1.
The Zero Emission Vehicle mandate is due to come into effect from 20241. ChargeUK said its members are already delivering EV infrastructure across the UK at an unprecedented rate, but warned that continued exponential growth must be underpinned by certainty1.
The letter set out the organisation's view of what a weaker mandate would mean:
"Watering down the original ambitions of the ZEV mandate will mean billions of pounds of investment, thousands of new and green jobs and the supply of second hand EVs are put at risk. This EV supply and the resultant second hand EV market are vital to helping reduce the cost of driving for people across the country and can only be realised with a clear ZEV mandate."
The letter was published in full by ChargeUK alongside the announcement1. No response from the Prime Minister or from the government to the letter has been reported1.
Why it matters for households
The mandate sets the share of new cars and vans sold in the UK that must be zero emission, and the 2030 date marks the start of the gradual end of petrol and diesel car sales1. For a household, both dates shape what will be available to buy new, and how quickly electric models reach the used market.
ChargeUK's argument ties the supply of second hand EVs directly to the strength of the mandate, saying that supply and the resulting second hand market are vital to reducing the cost of driving1. A household's energy independence depends partly on being able to charge at home rather than buy petrol or diesel, which in turn depends on the charging infrastructure its members are building1. The EV charging hub covers the equipment side, and the Smart Charge Points Regulations set the rules that apply to home charge points sold in the UK.
Policy certainty is the point ChargeUK presses: it says investment, jobs and the pace of the transition all rest on a clear mandate1. Households buying or leasing a car in the next few years are exposed to whichever way that decision goes.
What happens next
The ZEV mandate is due to come into effect from 20241. ChargeUK has asked the Prime Minister to hold to the 2030 phase out date and to the mandate's original ambition1. Further detail on the government's position has not been reported1.
Sources1 cited
- ChargeUK urges PM to commit to 2030 ZEV mandate, chargeuk.org