An industry expert has unveiled his fears over whether car manufacturers will be able to meet electric car targets set out by the Government.
The Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate will require car manufacturers to produce a certain percentage of zero emission vehicles in any given year.
In 2024, the required percentage will be 22 per cent, rising each year to 80 per cent in 2030.
This will coincide with the deadline to ban the sale of all new petrol and diesel vehicles, followed by a ban on hybrid vehicles five years later.
The Toyota boss said it was 'real worry for everyone'
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Agustin Martin, president and managing director of Toyota UK, spoke about the prospects of manufacturers meeting the targets.
He said: “Achieving the ZEV mandate is a real worry for everyone, because one thing is working out a strategy on a flea market, but it’s much harder to have a strategy on a market that is fixed.
“If there is wind behind the sails, then that’s fine, but what happens if there is no wind?
“I don’t think it’s a worry for just Toyota, I think it’s a worry for everyone,” he told the PA news agency.”
At present, Toyota only sells one battery electric vehicle – the bZ4X – with the brand still focusing heavily on hybrid vehicles.
The electric SUV has an electric range of around 270 miles and will set drivers back £46,110 for a base model.
Car manufacturers will be able to trade “credits” to ensure they meet the targets, with companies like Tesla and MG set to benefit massively from the targets.
Agustin Martin continued, saying: “We see the mix of EV in fleet is somewhere around 15 per cent.
“How natural that mix is, is a different question but I will not get into that discussion. What is clear is that retail electric sales are going down.
“I think we need to understand that when you go into forcing demand, it doesn’t happen naturally. Supply and demand happens naturally, but forced demand doesn’t.
“So the regulator, the participants in the market, we need to be conscious of that and agree on an approach that is coherent with the end results.”
The Government launched a consultation about how the ZEV mandate should be designed, including which international framework should be adopted.
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The sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles will be banned from 2030
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The consultation ran from March until May, with the Government expected to release feedback and outcomes from the responses soon.
