New 2024 rule ‘highly unlikely’ to reduce the number of affordable petrol and diesel cars
EXCLUSIVE: The new Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) mandate rule was introduced earlier this year but may not play a role in cutting petrol and diesel car sales.
New motoring rules introduced in 2024 are unlikely to impact petrol and diesel affordability, according to a leading campaign group.
Experts have stressed it is “highly unlikely” the number of affordable petrol and diesel models will be affected by the new Zero Emissions Vehicles (ZEV) mandate rules.
Specialists at Transport & Environment (T&E) have revealed that carmakers will not “give up their market share on car sales” despite rules mandating a move to electric machines.
The ZEV mandate introduces strict criteria on the number of electric vehicles that must be sold compared to combustion models.
In the first year, firms must ensure that at least 22 percent of their new vehicles are zero-emissions compared to petrol and diesel models.
This will rise every year until 80 percent of new cars and 70 percent of new vans pump out no emissions by the end of the decade.
When asked if there were concerns that forcing manufacturers to produce EVs would limit the number of affordable petrol and diesel cars on the market, T&E stressed it would not be a worry for brands.
Speaking to Express.co.uk, Ralph Palmer, Electric Vehicle and Fleets Officer at T&E, highlighted manufacturers could still take advantage of “generous flexibilities”.
He explained: "It is highly unlikely that carmakers will give up their market share on car sales this way, so this shouldn't be a major concern.
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“Ultimately, carmakers have been given generous flexibilities to meet ZEV mandate targets between 2024-2026 and analysis from New Automotive shows that EV sales are well on track to meet targets, particularly when these flexibilities are taken into account.”
Firms who break the rules and sell more than the allocated allowance will be slapped with hefty fines.
A staggering £15,000 will be issued for every non-compliant zero-emission car sold outside of the cap.
However, manufacturers can earn credit for exceeding annual EV sales targets and use this in years when they fail to meet the target.
Under the rules, companies can also trade alliances with other manufacturers to ensure they stay beneath the limit.
T&E has stressed that the ZEV mandate could be altered to tackle the “worrying trend” of larger SUVs in city centres.
The group suggested that new measures in the mandate could be implemented to “encourage carmakers to prioritise more efficient EVs”.
This in turn “would likely have the effect of reducing car sizes” and stop the trend of vehicles getting wider.