The electric car mandate was one of the UK Government’s major proposals for accelerating the transition to electric vehicles in 2021. Announced on 19 October, the plans were intended to encourage manufacturers to put more zero-emission cars and vans on UK roads as part of the country’s wider drive towards net zero emissions.
At the time, the Government had confirmed its intention to introduce a zero-emission vehicle mandate, but the exact percentage of a manufacturer’s sales that would need to be zero-emission vehicles had not yet been determined.
The electric car mandate was therefore still at the proposal stage when this article was originally published. The Government said it would set targets requiring manufacturers to sell an increasing proportion of zero-emission vehicles each year.
The basic idea behind the electric car mandate was relatively straightforward.
Rather than simply relying on consumers to choose electric vehicles, the Government planned to introduce rules requiring vehicle manufacturers to achieve specific proportions of zero-emission vehicle sales.
The electric car mandate would therefore put pressure on manufacturers to increase the number of electric models they offered and actively encourage the transition away from petrol and diesel vehicles.
The exact targets were still being developed in October 2021. The Government’s Net Zero Strategy confirmed that a zero-emission vehicle mandate would set annual targets for manufacturers from 2024.
This meant the electric car mandate was intended to work alongside other measures, including improvements to charging infrastructure and financial support for electric vehicle purchases.
When the electric car mandate was announced in 2021, the Government was planning for the system to begin in 2024.
The initial announcement did not specify the final percentage target. Instead, the Government said it would consult on the details before introducing the system.
The final ZEV mandate was subsequently introduced in 2024. It required manufacturers to ensure that a minimum percentage of their new car and van registrations were zero-emission vehicles.
The scheme began with a target of 22% for new cars in 2024 and 10% for new vans. The targets then increase over time, reaching 80% for cars and 70% for vans in 2030.
This means the electric car mandate eventually became a much more specific system than was known when the original 2021 announcement was made.
The main purpose of the electric car mandate was to increase the number of zero-emission vehicles entering the UK market.
The Government had already announced plans to end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030, followed by a requirement for all new cars and vans to be zero-emission at the tailpipe from 2035.
The mandate was designed to provide manufacturers with a clear trajectory towards those targets.
For consumers, this could mean a wider selection of electric cars becoming available as manufacturers increased investment in EV technology and production.
It could also help accelerate improvements in the second-hand market over time. As more electric vehicles enter the new-car market, more of those vehicles will eventually become available as used cars.
Alongside the electric car mandate announcement, the Government announced an additional £350 million to support the electrification of UK vehicles and their supply chains.
A further £620 million was also announced for targeted electric vehicle grants and infrastructure, with a particular focus on local and on-street residential charging.
This funding was important because increasing the number of electric vehicles on the road would require a corresponding expansion of charging infrastructure.
The electric car mandate could encourage manufacturers to increase EV sales, but drivers would also need somewhere convenient to charge those vehicles.
The combination of manufacturer targets and infrastructure investment was therefore intended to address both sides of the transition.
The Government’s approach to supporting electric vehicles was already changing by the time the electric car mandate was announced.
In March 2021, the plug-in car grant was reduced to provide grants of up to £2,500 for eligible electric cars costing less than £35,000. The changes were intended to focus government support on more affordable vehicles and make the available funding go further.
This created an interesting contrast.
On one hand, the electric car mandate was designed to encourage manufacturers to increase the availability and sales of zero-emission vehicles. On the other, direct financial support for buyers of new electric cars was being narrowed.
Critics could therefore question whether more should have been done to make electric cars affordable for consumers rather than relying primarily on manufacturer targets.
The Government argued that regulation was necessary to provide certainty for the automotive industry and accelerate the transition to zero-emission vehicles.
Manufacturers were already investing heavily in electric vehicles, but the electric car mandate would give them a clear regulatory direction and encourage the industry to continue increasing EV production.
There was also a wider environmental argument.
Road transport is a significant source of emissions, and replacing petrol and diesel vehicles with zero-emission alternatives can reduce tailpipe emissions.
However, the transition involves much more than simply changing the vehicles themselves. Charging infrastructure, electricity generation, battery production, vehicle affordability and access to charging all play important roles.
The electric car mandate was therefore only one part of a much larger change taking place across the automotive industry.
Although the electric car mandate had clear environmental objectives, it was not without criticism.
One concern was affordability. New electric vehicles were generally more expensive than many equivalent petrol or diesel models, particularly at the cheaper end of the market.
This raised questions about whether increasing the supply of electric vehicles would automatically make them accessible to every driver.
There were also concerns about charging infrastructure. Drivers with driveways or private parking could often charge at home, but people living in flats, terraced houses or areas without dedicated parking could face greater difficulties.
The Government’s additional investment in charging infrastructure was therefore an important part of the overall strategy.
Another question was whether manufacturers needed a mandate at all. Many car companies were already committing billions to electric vehicle development, meaning some argued that market demand and existing regulations would eventually achieve much of the same result.
The electric car mandate did eventually become law, although not in exactly the form or detail that was known in October 2021.
Following consultation and further policy development, the Government introduced the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate in January 2024. The regulations set annual minimum percentages for manufacturers’ new car and van registrations to be zero-emission.
The first target for cars was 22% in 2024, increasing to 80% by 2030. The corresponding van targets begin at 10% and rise to 70% by 2030.
The Government subsequently confirmed the wider pathway towards 2035, when all new cars and vans are intended to be zero-emission at the tailpipe.
The electric car mandate therefore moved from an announced proposal in 2021 to a formal regulatory system.
The electric car mandate represented a significant change in how the UK Government approached the transition to electric vehicles.
Rather than relying entirely on consumer demand, the policy introduced increasing requirements for manufacturers to sell zero-emission vehicles.
Whether the policy would ultimately succeed depends on several factors, including the affordability of electric cars, the availability of suitable models, the expansion of charging infrastructure and consumer confidence.
For motorists, the transition also creates more choice. As manufacturers introduce more electric models, buyers can increasingly compare electric vehicles with petrol, diesel and hybrid alternatives.
If you’re considering a change of vehicle, you can browse used cars for sale on MotorHype and compare the growing range of vehicles available on the second-hand market.
The electric car mandate is ultimately only one part of the UK’s wider transition towards zero-emission transport. Its success will depend not just on manufacturers producing more electric vehicles, but on ensuring that drivers have the infrastructure, choice and affordability needed to make the switch.
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