Major UK electric vehicle targets could be "severely compromised" if Labour chooses to change a critical mandate, experts have warned.
It comes as the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate consultation ends today which looks at hearing from automakers about potential changes to the 2030 petrol and diesel car ban.
The date, which is five years earlier than the 2035 date introduced under the Conservative Government, would mean drivers and car manufacturers would be forced to commit to electric cars while the charging network continues to grow.
Experts have now warned that if the consultation leads to a change in the mandate, it could "severely compromise" the existing electric car charging network which secured £6billion in private investment commitments for charging infrastructure deployment.
Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailingmotoring@gbnews.uk
Experts warned the ZEV mandate changes could impact the £6billion investment in the charging network
PA/GETTY
ChargeUK warned that any changes to the mandate would risk impacting the steady progress made by charging operators who would face huge problems in meeting the new targets.
The organisation stated that reducing the expected number of electric miles driven in the coming decade would lead to slower charger deployment, increased charging costs, and a more challenging environment for EV sales rather than the desirable effect of moving motorists away from petrol and diesel cars.
The public charging network has been steadily growing in the past few years, expanding by 37 per cent in 2024 to reach nearly 75,000 charge points across the UK.
Experts warned that the progress made would be in vain as it puts the UK much further behind than where it needs to be.
This infrastructure growth has helped support EV adoption, with electric cars accounting for a fifth of all new car registrations in January 2025.
ChargeUK warned that not only will more investment be needed, but Labour may have to step in and offer more incentives for drivers.
On top of urging the Government to maintain the ZEV mandate targets, it also called for the levelling up of the VAT rate on public charging to five per cent.
The organisation backed a delay to the Expensive Car Supplement and Vehicle Excise Duty rate hikes which are set to change in April.
Vicky Read, CEO of ChargeUK said: "Our response to the ZEV mandate consultation is straightforward - we need to maintain and build on the conditions that have led to the recent growth in charge point deployment, and that have been pivotal in supporting record levels of EVs sales.
"The charge point industry has been working ahead of demand, installing nearly 75,000 public charge points and over ten times as many home and workplace chargers, enabling drivers to switch to EVs with confidence."
She warned that altering the mandate would "negatively impact investor confidence, leading to a slow-down in rollout, higher prices for consumers and a more challenging environment in which to sell EVs."
Read added: "The charging sector is already delivering the world-class charging network that will power Britain's zero emission future. But we can only do so with continued policy certainty."
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Experts warned that changing ZEV mandate targets could disrupt electric car progress already made
GETTYChargeUK additionally proposed limiting hybrid car sales to plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in the final few years of the ZEV mandate between 2030 and 2035 to encourage the transition to zero-emission vehicles.
