Electric Vehicles: Zero Emissions
(Warwick and Leamington)
(Lab)
2. What recent progress he has made on the implementation of the
zero emission mandate for electric vehicles. [R]
Mr Speaker
Go on, Minister.
The Minister of State, Department for Transport ()
Thank you, Mr Speaker. It is great to see you in such robust form
this morning, if I may say so.
A technical consultation on the zero-emission vehicle mandate
design’s features was held between April and June of last year.
Responses to that consultation are currently being analysed, and
the Government will publish their response, alongside a final
consultation on the full regulatory proposal, and an accompanying
cost-benefit analysis, in the near future.
The industry is extremely concerned about the timings, and fears
that it will be left with just six months before implementation
on 1 January 2024. Most industry observers would say that at
least 24 months is needed for a successful mandate to be
introduced. Does he agree that the industry should be concerned
about this, and that we need to act much more quickly? Should the
Government not also be looking at delivering an infrastructure
mandate?
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his questions. Of course, he will
be aware that this is an extremely complex issue, because it
involves manufacturers, charge-point providers, energy suppliers
and other players in this important and evolving market. There
was a Green Paper consultation in 2021. There has been a second
consultation on technical issues, as I say, and we work very
closely with all those players, and the industry, precisely to
ensure that, when this lands with all of its complexities, which
it will do in the near future, it lands properly, effectively,
and to the benefit of all.
(Gainsborough) (Con)
The constituency of Gainsborough is 600 square miles, and it
takes half an hour to get anywhere even when travelling at the
speed limit. What is the Government plan to help rural areas when
electric vehicles become mandatory for sale in 2030?
As my right hon. Friend will be aware, the Government’s plan is
for more than 300,000 charge points to be in place by then. That
will be led largely by the private sector, and we meet regularly
with all the charge point operators. Their plans are escalating
and will be massively supported and benefited by the
zero-emission vehicle mandate. With that, and technological
advances, we anticipate that there will be ample opportunity for
people in rural areas to use electric vehicles.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
(Sheffield, Brightside and
Hillsborough) (Lab)
Last year, UK car production slumped to a 66-year low. The covid
pandemic, supply chain shortages, and chaos at Dover have left
this key industry fighting for survival. Manufacturers are crying
out for a shred of certainty, but far from supporting them and
the 150,000 workers they employ, this Government are leaving them
in a state of limbo. With less than a year to go before it takes
effect, why is the Minister still keeping the design of the
zero-emission vehicle mandate a well-guarded secret? When can
manufacturers expect finally to get some clarity from the
Government to allow them to plan for the future?
The hon. Lady wildly overstates the issue with regard to electric
vehicles. In 2022, we had the second largest market across Europe
for electric vehicles, which demonstrates the level of energy and
support we are giving the industry, including £2 billion of
public money. We consult closely with both large car
manufacturers and small manufacturers, who have quite different
interests in many different ways. They will be quite comfortable
with this important mandate when it comes out, and they will be
because we have consulted extensively on it with them over the
past two years.
Mr Speaker
I call the SNP spokesperson.
(Paisley and Renfrewshire
North) (SNP)
Although we support a zero-emission vehicle mandate to accelerate
the switch to zero-emission driving, the Government need to get a
grip on it. Businesses—be they manufacturers, dealerships or
fleet purchasers—cannot plan, and consumers are in the dark. That
chimes with the overall approach to zero-emission driving, with
just over 7,000 EV charging installations last year when 33,000
are required annually to meet the 300,000 target. Will we hear
more about the mandate, the charger network expansion and
equalising the VAT levied on home charging versus street charging
in the upcoming Budget?
The hon. Gentleman will be aware that I will not comment on the
Budget; as a former Financial Secretary, I will certainly not
attempt to trespass on the Treasury’s prerogative on tax issues.
What he will know, of course, is that the vast majority of that
investment is coming from the private sector. Of course, that
will itself be massively boosted by the zero-emission vehicle
mandate. I met one of the largest charge point operators only
this week, and they were perfectly clear that the one thing that
will do more than anything else, not just to reduce carbon but to
support the development of that industry and that transition, is
the mandate, which we will publish, as I say, in the near future.
