Swansway director Peter Smyth has hit put at the ZEV Mandate, which is forcing dealers to try and sell EVs to customers who do not want them.
Speaking to Jim Norton, the The Telegraph reported” “What we’re witnessing right now is the biggest transformation in the motor trade since I joined as a trainee salesman in 1984.
“Our forecourts are increasingly lined with the latest electric vehicles, with incredible offers, and my staff are being drilled by the biggest auto manufacturers on how to lure customers to the green side – they’re even sending specialist trainers in.
“But there’s one problem – where are the people who want to buy them? Electric vehicles (EVs) will be the future one day, but right now we can still only sell around one electric vehicle for every four petrol, diesel or hybrid cars. Customers don’t have the appetite yet.
The Telegraph reported Smyth saying public acceptance is still a long way off, and the infrastructure isn’t ready yet.
“So why are we so keen to sell them? Well, we pretty much have to. Under the ludicrous ZEV mandate, the Government is forcing car manufacturers to register an increasing percentage of their cars as zero emission – no matter whether there is natural demand or not. This year it’s 33 per cent – nearly one in three cars.
“While it might be a noble aim, this supply-side push is wreaking havoc on our motor industry – leaving manufacturers in financial jeopardy and dealerships pushing cars on people who don’t want them yet,” said the report.
