Half of all new car sales will have to be all-electric models by 2028 under EV mandate

Car makers will be forced to ensure more than half of their new model sales in Britain are zero-emmissions vehicles by 2028 under an EV mandate.

The Government plans to outlaw the sale of conventional petrol and diesel cars entirely by 2030 and a new Department for Transport (DfT) consultation has set out proposals for mandatory sales targets in the lead up to the total ban.

Plans for an Zero Emissions Vehicle Mandate were first announced in Ocotber 2021 as part of the Government’s “Net Zero” strategy and the new technical consultation from the DfT lays out a proposed timescale, which will see car makers given legally binding targets from 2024 onwards.

Under the plans, from 2024, 22% of all a manufacturer’s new car sales would have to be zero emissions vehicles (EV or hydrogen powered), rising annually from there to 52% by 2028 and 80% in 2030.

While purely petrol or diesel cars will be banned by 2030, some hybrid vehicles will still be allowed until 2035, explaining the 20% allowance for CO2-emitting cars beyond 2030. The DfT says such cars will have to have “significant zero emission capability” but has still not explained what this means in practice. By 2035, 100% of all car maker’s new sales will have to be completely emissions-free.

Last year, 12% of all new car registrations were zero-emissions vehicles, although the EV/combustion engine split for each manufacturer is different.

The UK motor industry’s official body, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) predicts that the rapid growth in EV uptake (which rose 122% between 2019 and 2020 and 97% between 2020 and 2021) will continue, reaching 16% of market share this year and 18% in 2023.

The DfT paper says setting a clear legal mandate for sales will provide market certainty, which will allow other government departments to plan for the shift to EVs. This includes the Treasury, which is set to lose billions in fuel duty and car tax as matters stand.

The paper notes: ”The mandate will give certainty about the minimum proportion of zero emission cars we expect to be supplied although consumer demand may naturally exceed this level. The mandate will provide assurance that we will meet our phase-out deadlines and carbon commitments.”

Many car makers, including Ford