MPs join calls for zero emission vehicle mandate to push carmakers to 'up their game'

MPs on the Transport Select Committee have today joined growing the growing chorus of calls for the government to introduce a zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate in a bid to accelerate the market for electric cars ahead of petrol and diesel sales coming to an end in 2030.

Among a series of recommendations for boosting supply and demand of electric vehicles (EVs) ahead of the 2030 phase out sales of fossil fuel cars and 2035 phase out of hybrids, the Committee called for regulatory requirements for carmakers to sell a minimum proportion of zero emission cars which trends upwards over time, or - if unable to reach targets - to purchase credits from from other manufacturers.

The policy would offer a significantly boost for the EV market over the coming years, and in doing so make zero carbon vehicles more accessible for more drivers, a report by the Committee today argues.

The Committee is not the first to call for ZEV mandate to drive the uptake of battery cars in recent months. Backbench Conservatives, former government ministers Amber Rudd and Andrea Leadsom, think tank Green Alliance, and the government's climate advisory body the Climate Change Committee are all among advocates of the policy, pointing to its success in California where it has significantly boosted the state's EV market.

The government plans to hold a consultation over potentially introducing a ZEV mandate in its Transport Decarbonisation Plan earlier this month, however Huw Merriman, chair of the Transport Select Committee, said this intervention was "not enough on its own".

"Charging electric vehicles should be convenient, straightforward and inexpensive and drivers must not be disadvantaged by where they live or how they charge their vehicles," Merriman said. "Shifting the subsidy from the taxpayer to the manufacturer will incentivise those who deliver the fewest electric vehicles in our showrooms to up their game."

Elsewhere in its report, the Transport Committee has urged the government to work closely with National Grid to map areas where electric car charging infrastructure is scant, grid upgrades and connection costs are expensive, and the business case for investment in charging infrastructure is weak.

It also calls on the government to meet its commitment to regulate interoperability between different public charging networks and operators to ease the charging experience for drivers, and to provide better pricing transparency for public charge points in order to help protect consumers from excessive charges.

The cost discrepancy between charging at home and charging in public spaces also needs addressing, the report states. At present home charging is subject to five per cent VAT, which is significantly less than the 20 per cent rate for on-street charging.   

In the homes, meanwhile, the enerty sector should be required to encourage drivers to charge at times where there is less demand on the electricity grid, and to use pricing and tariffs to shift  behaviour away from conventional refuelling habits towards ‘a little but often' approach, the report argues.

"Putting guarantees in place on infrastructure is crucial but one report after another flags concerns to government about the provision of electric car charging infrastructure," Merriman said. "Let ours be the last: It's time that Ministers set out the route map to delivering a network of services for everyone across the UK. To help consumers see their route to a zero-emission world, choosing to run an electric vehicle must be as seamless as possible."

Responding to the Committee's report, a Department for Transport spokesperson said the government wanted the UK to have "one of the best electric vehicle infrastructure networks in the world".

"As more people make the switch to electric, we want chargepoints to be accessible and affordable right across the country, which is why we welcome the Transport Select Committee's report," they said. "Alongside our new ambitious phase out dates, we have announced £1.3bn to accelerate the roll out of charging infrastructure, targeting support on motorways and major A roads to dash any anxiety around long journeys, and installing more on-street chargepoints near homes and workplaces to make charging as easy as refuelling a petrol or diesel car. "