Almost six out of 10 (57%) used car dealers expect the Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate for the New Year to be met, according to Startline’s Used Car Tracker which questioned 303 consumers and 60 dealers.
The survey also shows that 44% of respondents believe the government will soon be forced to revise their targets, and 20% that those for the rest of the decade are unachievable.
Paul Burgess, CEO at Startline Motor Finance, said final figures hadn’t yet been released, but it appeared the 2025 ZEV Mandate car target had probably been missed by a handful of percentage points. He said: “Still, it’s clear the ZEV Mandate is an area where dealer opinion is very much divided, with 44% believing the targets are unattainable in their present form and will need to be revised and relaxed.
“It’s notable that the government has already said it will bring forward its date to reexamine these from 2027 to this year.”
A net +70% believe more government support is needed for new electric car sales and 74% for used.
Burgess said: “The high level of support for used car market intervention revealed here is notable.
“There is an argument that the functioning of the used market is the weakest area of the whole electrification process at the moment.
“Dealers often report that while electric cars generally sell quickly, low values are persisting and even potentially worsening.”
A net +44% of dealers surveyed believe plug-in hybrids are proving to be an important transitional technology, and +26% believe it is significant that some manufacturers are reintroducing hybrid and even petrol drivetrains.
Burgess said: “It has perhaps become clear in the last year or two that electrification will be more of a gradual and uneven process than was first envisaged and we’re seeing some manufacturers take a step back and once again offer older technologies.
“It appears many dealers believe this is the right decision.”
