Car firms will still be forced to meet strict quotas for selling electric cars despite the ban on sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles being delayed. From January, just over a fifth of vehicles sold must be electric, with the target expected to hit 80% by 2030. It is expected the mandate will require car makers to ensure 22% of vehicles sold are electric next year and increase each year after that to reach 80% by 2030. Firms that fail to hit the quotas could be fined £15,000 per car.
The government has confirmed the policy would remain even though Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the petrol and diesel ban would be moved to 2035. Experts believe that the regulations compelling increased sales of electric vehicles "remains the single most important mechanism to deliver the UK's net zero commitment", rather than any postponement on the ban on new cars with petrol and diesel engines.
One industry expert believes that the imposed sales quotas is designed to incentivise vehicle makers to bring down the price of purchasing an EV, making it an more comparable proposition to petrol or diesel vehicle buyers.
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