MP says support growing for electric car rethink

A Labour MP has said support is growing in the government to bring forward a review of the mandate for cars to be fully electric by 2035.

Steve Yemm, MP for Mansfield, said he and a number of other Labour backbenchers, had raised concerns with ministers from various departments that the car manufacturing industry cannot support the pace of change required.

Under the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate (ZEV), all new cars sold will have to be hybrid or electric by 2030, and fully electric by 2035.

The government said it had shown it was "adaptable" by introducing "flexibilities" last year to make it easier for the industry.

Yemm argued the mandate was putting jobs at risk.

He said several of his constituents who work at a Toyota factory at Burnaston in Derbyshire were "all concerned".

A planned review of the mandate was due to be published in early 2027, but Yemm has urged the government to carry it out "as soon as possible".

Manufacturers have to sell a certain percentage of electric vehicles every year, with the targets ramping up annually ahead of the 2030 and 2035 deadlines.

However, Yemm said having spoken to car makers across the UK, he does not think the industry can "support" the pace of change.

"The big concerns I have is that consumer demand is behind where it should be in order to meet the requirements of the mandate by 2030 and by 2035," he added.

"And we're going to be ramping up from where we are now through to those years.

"I don't think the industry can support that and I think that it's a threat to jobs in the industry.

"That's my big concern. These are important well paid jobs and a number of car workers live in my constituency in Mansfield.

"We all want to meet the goal of net-zero and decarbonisation, but it can't be at the cost of good jobs."

Yemm said he believed support was "growing right across government" for a rethink of the mandate.

"We've seen other regulations, for instance in Europe, move in the direction that I am advocating, to a more pragmatic position.

"So I'm optimistic that we're getting that here and we'll make progress on it," he said.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), while committed to the transition, has also been calling for an "urgent" review of ZEV.

In March, an SMMT report said the assumptions behind the mandate had proved "over-ambitious", citing rising costs and lower than expected consumer demand.

The report stressed the car industry was committed to phasing out petrol and diesel engines on current timescales, but called for a "smarter route" to get there.

The SMMT also pointed out Canada and the European Union have recently made changes to their targets, while the United States had "rowed back on its EV commitments altogether".

However, Vicky Edmonds, chief executive of EVA England, which champions the transition to electric vehicles, said the existing rules were "absolutely vital".

Edmonds argued there was "huge demand" for electric cars, with dealerships "overwhelmed with interest in EVs at the moment".

Any "wobbles" in the mandate, she added, could "really impact investment in the industry and also consumer interest".

"We have a really good policy in place. We need to maintain that stability and keep it moving," she said.

The government pointed out March was the "biggest ever month" in terms of EV sales.

A government spokesperson said: "It has never been easier or cheaper to own an EV, especially against the backdrop of high and fluctuating prices at the pumps.

"There are now over two million EVs now registered in the UK and March was the biggest ever month for sales of EVs.

"We recognise manufacturers are facing challenges, but we've shown we are adaptable.

"Last year, we introduced flexibilities to make it easier for manufacturers, who can meet the mandate in several ways - not just through ZEV sales."

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