Experts have called on Labour to boost the electric car revolution with suitable policies to increase the suitability of EVs for consumers and manufacturing, despite languishing "10 years behind" the Chinese powerhouse.
Labour's Plan for Change outlined several new policies for motorists and the automotive industry to support the uptake of zero emission vehicles.
While Keir Starmer's party backed the expansion of the EV charging network and pledged to fill in potholes, the main aim was to reinstate the original 2030 date to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars.
This took direct aim at former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's pledge to roll back the new car ban to 2035, saying that it would bring the UK in line with Europe.
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Speaking at the start of the year, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander committed to restricting the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030.
She added that only zero emission vehicles would be on sale from 2035 in a stark rebuttal of the Conservatives' policy in 2023.
The latest update to the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate is the fifth update of the policy since it was first set out, with the new rules around hybrid vehicle sales dividing opinions among experts.
After 2030, drivers will still be able to buy new hybrid vehicles, despite concerns around these slowing the growth of battery electric cars and the move to net zero.
Speaking exclusively to GB News at Everything Electric London, James Court, Public Policy Director at Octopus Electric Vehicles, noted that the UK is still a powerhouse for automotive manufacturing and can move forward with electric vehicles under the correct circumstances.
He said: "We're already 10 years behind China. We need to be stepping on the gas and making sure the transition happens quicker for the manufacturing industry.
"You've actually got more time when it comes to the purchasing and the buying of cars, what we need to accelerate is the manufacturing side.
"And that's what the ZEV mandate was trying to do and it was doing it well. The confusion that we've got now is that companies like Octopus EV have to help consumers guide through the misinformation about hybrids."
The UK is already one of the largest markets for electric cars, with the latest data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showing a near 20 per cent market share for battery electric vehicles.
The latest data from the SMMT in March found that the new number plate bounce for new vehicle sales was clear, with EVs having the best month ever for new registrations, as drivers got their hands on 69,313 new vehicles.
Pure hybrids and plug-in hybrids also saw an uptick in demand, representing 15.7 per cent and 9.5 per cent of the market, respectively.
In a win for the UK, as it moves towards net zero and ZEV mandate targets, petrol and diesel sales continue to slump. Sales of petrol cars dropped 0.4 per cent year-on-year with 176,847 new registrations, while diesel slumped to just under 21,000 new registrations.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Despite the optimism from the industry, there are still policy changes that need to take place to ensure zero emission vehicles make up the bulk of road transport.
A Government spokesperson told GB News: "We recognise the global challenges car manufacturers face and have listened to their concerns by consulting on reinstating the 2030 phase out date of new petrol and diesel car sales whilst also protecting jobs – a decision supported by a majority of manufacturers who have been working towards this date, and are on track to meet their ZEV mandate targets.
"We're investing over £2.3billion to support industry and consumers make the switch, tapping into a multibillion-pound industry that will create high-paid jobs for decades to come, make the UK a clean energy superpower and help deliver our Plan for Change."
Find Out More...
Labour's Plan for Change outlined several new policies for motorists and the automotive industry to support the uptake of zero emission vehicles.
While Keir Starmer's party backed the expansion of the EV charging network and pledged to fill in potholes, the main aim was to reinstate the original 2030 date to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars.
This took direct aim at former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's pledge to roll back the new car ban to 2035, saying that it would bring the UK in line with Europe.
Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]
Speaking at the start of the year, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander committed to restricting the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030.
She added that only zero emission vehicles would be on sale from 2035 in a stark rebuttal of the Conservatives' policy in 2023.
The latest update to the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate is the fifth update of the policy since it was first set out, with the new rules around hybrid vehicle sales dividing opinions among experts.
After 2030, drivers will still be able to buy new hybrid vehicles, despite concerns around these slowing the growth of battery electric cars and the move to net zero.
Speaking exclusively to GB News at Everything Electric London, James Court, Public Policy Director at Octopus Electric Vehicles, noted that the UK is still a powerhouse for automotive manufacturing and can move forward with electric vehicles under the correct circumstances.
He said: "We're already 10 years behind China. We need to be stepping on the gas and making sure the transition happens quicker for the manufacturing industry.
"You've actually got more time when it comes to the purchasing and the buying of cars, what we need to accelerate is the manufacturing side.
"And that's what the ZEV mandate was trying to do and it was doing it well. The confusion that we've got now is that companies like Octopus EV have to help consumers guide through the misinformation about hybrids."
The UK is already one of the largest markets for electric cars, with the latest data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showing a near 20 per cent market share for battery electric vehicles.
The latest data from the SMMT in March found that the new number plate bounce for new vehicle sales was clear, with EVs having the best month ever for new registrations, as drivers got their hands on 69,313 new vehicles.
Pure hybrids and plug-in hybrids also saw an uptick in demand, representing 15.7 per cent and 9.5 per cent of the market, respectively.
In a win for the UK, as it moves towards net zero and ZEV mandate targets, petrol and diesel sales continue to slump. Sales of petrol cars dropped 0.4 per cent year-on-year with 176,847 new registrations, while diesel slumped to just under 21,000 new registrations.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
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Despite the optimism from the industry, there are still policy changes that need to take place to ensure zero emission vehicles make up the bulk of road transport.
A Government spokesperson told GB News: "We recognise the global challenges car manufacturers face and have listened to their concerns by consulting on reinstating the 2030 phase out date of new petrol and diesel car sales whilst also protecting jobs – a decision supported by a majority of manufacturers who have been working towards this date, and are on track to meet their ZEV mandate targets.
"We're investing over £2.3billion to support industry and consumers make the switch, tapping into a multibillion-pound industry that will create high-paid jobs for decades to come, make the UK a clean energy superpower and help deliver our Plan for Change."
Find Out More...