The UK's leading union has called on the Government to guarantee the future of motoring across the nation ahead of the closure of an electric vehicle consultation later today.
The Unite union said thousands of automotive sector jobs are relying on urgent reforms to electric car targets through the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate, which the Department for Transport has been consulting on.
The ZEV mandate outlines how automakers need to have at least 28 per cent of sales come from electric vehicles, with targets increasing to 80 per cent by the end of the decade.
Before Christmas, the DfT launched a consultation looking into how the ZEV mandate would function over the coming years and how Labour can deal with the 2030 petrol and diesel car ban.
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Stellantis announced that it would be closing the Luton factory and moving production to Ellesmere Port
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The Unite union has submitted its feedback to the consultation which calls for the Government to support the UK automotive industry and achieve a just transition for workers.
Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite, said: "The ZEV mandate's current focus on vehicle sales alone will not bring about the changes needed to electrify Britain's road transport network.
"It is a blunt tool that risks jobs rather than encouraging people to purchase EVs."
Proposals from Unite include providing additional ZEV credits for vehicles that are made in the UK, as well as allowing exported electric vehicles to count towards credits for meeting thresholds.
Another suggestion from Unite includes "bundling" to allow electric vehicles and low emission commercial vehicles to count towards passenger vehicle thresholds.
Unite also called for the Government to maintain the ban on vehicles with internal combustion engines to stay in line with the European Union and remain at 2035, "unless there is a proven strategy to defend jobs".
Unite national officer for the automotive sector Des Quinn said: "The UK's automotive industry is at a crucial juncture.
"Thousands of jobs depend on the Government's automotive vision and the support it will put in place to make sure the current low volume crisis does not permanently shrink the industry.
"Labour's long-awaited Industrial Strategy must deliver a route through the seismic shifts impacting the sector that provides a just transition for the country’s auto workers."
It comes as around 1,100 jobs are expected to be lost when Stellantis closes its factory in Luton which currently manufactures vehicles for Citroen, Vauxhall, Opel, Peugeot and Fiat Professional.
In November, Stellantis announced that it would invest £50million to "strengthen the Ellesmere Port plant", which would ultimately lead to the closure of the Luton plant.
This was announced by Vauxhall's parent company despite saying nine months earlier that it would begin electric vehicle production at the Luton factory in 2025.
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Stellantis previously announced that it would begin electric vehicle production in Luton in 2025
STELLANTISStellantis said it would offer an attractive package for workers in Luton who were interested in moving to Ellesmere Port, in addition to offering retraining and further job support.
The move was condemned by workers, local politicians and the Government, which argued that Luton was a suitable place for manufacturing, especially as the future of electric vehicle development in the future.
Unite's Sharon Graham also slammed the move saying Stellantis had "betrayed" its Luton workforce, adding that it was a "total disgrace".
A Stellantis spokesperson told GB News: "Production will cease in Luton in Q2 2025, with a period of transforming and transferring machinery and process knowledge to Ellesmere Port. Production of the group’s medium all-electric LCV range (eK0) in Ellesmere Port will commence in Q4 2026."
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: "Since we launched the consultation in December, the Government has engaged closely with car manufacturers on how we can support them to deliver the transition to electric vehicles.
"Our consultation on the 2030 phase-out of new petrol and diesel cars has now closed and we will set out our response as soon as possible. We will carefully consider industry feedback as we develop our response, as part of our ongoing commitment to work in partnership with them to deliver this transition.
"2024 was a record year for EVs with sales up a fifth on the previous year and nearly 20,000 public chargers added to the network. We’re continuing to back the sector by investing over £2.3 billion to help the sector and consumers make a supported switch to EVs, creating high-paid jobs, tapping into a multi-billion pound industry and making the UK a clean energy superpower to deliver our Plan for Change."
