In a curious turn of events, the UK’s electric vehicle mandate was significantly weakened just after the industry proved it could meet its requirements. Every carmaker complied with the 2024 targets, only for the government to then relax the rules for the future.
This sequence has puzzled and angered environmental campaigners. For them, the 2024 compliance was proof that the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate was working exactly as intended, forcing manufacturers to increase EV sales and availability.
However, the industry’s lobbying documents reveal their perspective. They argued that meeting the target required “unsustainable” measures, such as heavy price cuts, which could not be repeated year after year without causing serious financial damage and harming investment in the UK.
The government sided with the industry’s view of future unsustainability over the campaigners’ view of current success. The decision to “fix” a policy that appeared to be working has been hailed as pragmatic by some, but as a deeply flawed and regressive step by others.