UK EV Sales Targets: What You Need to Know

Talks between car manufactures and the government are taking place this week about stringent targets for EV car sales.

The rule for 2024 requires manufacturers to ensure that at least 22% of new cars sold are zero emission, rising to 80% by 2030 and 100% by 2035.

Carmakers face a fine of £15,000 for each non zero-emission vehicle sold that exceeds the annual percentage target.

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has said she will look at increasing “flexibilities” ahead of a meeting with Nissan today, with the company said to be planning to warn her that the industry is at “crisis point”. 

We spoke to Ian Plummer, commercial director at Auto Trader, on Business Live this morning.

“The targets are very tough,” he said. “They can add up to millions of pounds of fines for a particular manufacturer.

“Currently in the UK, the overall market is running at 18% of battery electric. Some brands are pure electric – Tesla, for example. So, other brands you can imagine are quite significantly below that 22%.”

Manufacturers can make up for missing the target in subsequent years, and can also buy credits from competitors such as Tesla.

Mr Plummer said the industry is in agreement that change towards a greener path is required, but that while “the stick” is effectively threatening the companies building vehicles, “more carrots” are needed to attract consumers.

He said the benefits of EVs for drivers, beyond the environmental impact, needed to be talked up.

“I’ve been lucky enough to drive a whole host of EVs that are on the market and every single one has been fantastic to drive: smooth, quiet, accelerating very well, etc. The technology in them is amazing as well.”

He also said people should do their research – looking beyond the recurring headlines that EVs are expensive and difficult to charge.

He said: “There have been issues of range and chargers but the charging industry has really got behind that challenge.

“There are more than 70,000 chargers in the UK now. Around two thirds of people could have a home charge.”

On price, Mr Plummer went on: “A new electric [car] is around 30% more expensive than its petrol equivalent – it slows the demand when they’re priced more aggressively,” he says.

“In used cars, they’re now a parity to the petrol equivalents, they sell extremely well – they’re the fastest selling segment on our site, in fact.”