The U.K. Government is Reconsidering Its Aggressive EV Mandate

Automakers have two months to submit comments to the government on EV sales quotas. The U.K.’s Department of Transportation’s plan has a complete phaseout of internal combustion engines by 2030, but this latest move asks automakers if the safeguards and “flexibilities” in the current rules are working.

Many in the government have criticized the quotas, which some view as ineffective. Companies falling short of their required numbers face fines and other penalties, but buyers haven’t responded enthusiastically. Electric vehicles made up just under 19 percent of the U.K.’s overall car market in the first 11 months of this year, and that’s with aggressive discounts from automakers.

Stellantis closed a factory in the U.K. in November, citing the rules for shuttering the van production facility. That closure impacted more than 1,000 jobs, and Ford has also had to cut its workforce in the country due to lagging EV sales.

Though it said the 2030 goal still stands, the Department of Transportation noted that it would help support automakers in the goal to go all-electric. It also said that it may add some hybrid models to the list of acceptable vehicles to ease the transition between 2030 and 2035.

[Images: Toyota, Shutterstock, Kia]

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