Ford is calling on the UK Government to urgently review the ZEV Mandate.
Posting on LinkedIn Ford of chair and managing director Lisa Brankin called for an urgent review of the ZEV Mandate for cars and vans.
In the latest new car sales for June, year to date, BEVs accounted for 25% of the market which falls short of the 33% ZEV Mandate target.
Brankin said: “Ford believes in a zero-emissions future. That isn’t in question. What is in question is whether the current policy path reflects how people actually buy and use vehicles today.
“The Government has shown it will listen and act. The Electric Car Grant, one year old this week, is putting electric cars within the reach of more drivers. We very much welcome the demand-side support.”
But Brankin argued that incentives along could not fill the ZEV sales gap.
“We have invested heavily and discounted hard, and government grants have helped — yet sustainable demand is still short of the targets for both commercial and passenger vehicles.
“The mandate and the market have drifted apart, and that gap is getting wider.
“For many drivers the switch makes sense, and they are making it today. For others, the time isn’t right. This is particularly true for our commercial vehicle customers, whose van is the heart of their business, and the switch to full electric doesn’t make sense for some of them at the moment,” said Brankin.
