Reaction to UK Governments “powering up Britain strategy”
“We are pleased that government has answered our calls to provide further clarity on how it plans to reach its Net-Zero targets and the ban of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030, and support the transition to electric vehicles. Whilst it is positive to see Government addressing key issues towards adoption, NFDA is concerned that more still needs to be done to achieve these ambitious net-zero targets, especially through further stimulating consumer demand in EVs”, said Sue Robinson, Chief Executive of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), which represents car and commercial retailers across the UK.
Today (Thursday 30 March 2023), Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP, Secretary for Energy Security Secretary and Net Zero, announced his ‘Powering up Britain’ strategy, which brings together an Energy Security Plan and Net Zero Growth Plan, with a critical focus towards increasing UK clean energy, including electricity, wind, solar and nuclear.
For the automotive retailing sector, it is particularly pleasing to see a commitment to invest £380.8m into charging infrastructure, a prominent barrier stopping many UK motorists from switching to an electric vehicle.
Sue Robinson added: "An efficient charging infrastructure is crucial towards boosting consumer confidence and driving transport decarbonisation. NFDA will be engaging with the relevant Government departments to encourage a structured approach towards improving the UK charging network”.
Following the announcement, government has also provided further information regarding its Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate, ensuring manufacturers are producing a sufficient level of electric vehicles from 01 January 2024. The clarity given today will give dealers and motorists greater confidence to continue their decarbonisation journey and accelerate the transition to zero-emission transport.
Sue Robinson continued: “With growing interest and demand from motorists for Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) it is encouraging to see more focus rightly shifting towards supply, ensuring more products are entering the UK market with a ZEV mandate.
“Our franchised dealers exist as vital information hubs for motorists interested in electric vehicles and NFDA’s Electric Vehicle Approved (EVA) scheme continues to play a key role in supporting this. With more electric vehicles entering the market, it is now more important than ever to become EVA accredited and ensure customers know your dealership is at the forefront of electric vehicle retail.”
Ben Nelmes, CEO of green motoring consultancy New AutoMotive, says:
“The government's latest electric vehicle proposals are a further step toward a net zero Britain, targeting the car and van emissions that account for almost 20% of the country's total emissions output. It will make electric vehicles more accessible, saving motorists around £1.93 billion in running costs, and provide green British businesses with the certainty they need to grow.
It is positive that the government has accepted our recommendation and is targeting a faster switch to electric vans, but ministers must make sure that there are no loopholes in the scheme that allow some manufacturers to avoid doing their fair share.”
Fiona Howarth, CEO of Octopus Electric Vehicles, comments: “The wheels for the EV revolution are firmly in motion. The ZEV mandate will set the roadmap towards 2030 zero emissions transport - cutting harmful emissions for both people and the planet.
“The industry needs clarity and decisive action to place the UK EV market in pole position. We need to end our reliance on imported fossil fuels as we transition to zero emission vehicles powered by homegrown green energy.
“The devil will be in the detail, and this is our chance to further drive down costs and encourage new models to enter the market, giving drivers access to cheaper, greener, tech on wheels transport.”