Government action on tariffs shows clear leadership in achieving an electric future

They say a week is a long time in politics and the last few days have been hectic by any measure. The Prime Minister is having to juggle not wanting to upset the US President while at the same time protecting British interests. And in few industries has this been more evident than the automotive sector and the impact on Electric Vehicles.

At first glance, it may have been that EVs and the continued progress towards an electric future would have been an easy sacrifice; Starmer could have simply stuck with the 2035 deadline, as revised by the previous Government. But he hasn’t. He has gone in completely the other direction and reverted to the original 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars – and Labour’s Manifesto commitment – and allowed a few, sensible exemptions, especially among smaller OEMs.

He has, for example, exempted small and micro volume OEMs from ZEV targets, and allowed for a longer period in which hybrid and plug-in hybrids can be sold. He has similarly allowed for more flexibility in the mix of EV/traditional car sales, and reduced the fines that some firms may face if those targets are not reached.

His actions have been greeted positively by most industry commentators. Mike Hawes of the SMMT said the Prime Minister had ‘recognised the intense pressure manufacturers are under’. Edmund King of the AA similarly described it as a ‘pragmatic step’ and repeated his mantra that ‘more needs to be done to make EVs accessible for everyone’. Most drivers, he believes, ‘are not hostile to change’.

What the next weeks and months hold is of course difficult to predict. Tariffs appear to come and go with the breeze, and while we have certainty now, what is important is that we have certainty in the future. The EV industry is at a tipping point, but the good news is that the signs have been positive.

EVs are now available that are more affordable. The EV charging infrastructure has grown with demand. As at the end of March there were almost 77,000 EV charging points across the UK across almost 39,000 locations and their numbers are growing, as are the volume of higher-speed devices. More than 1,100 net new charging devices are added to the Zapmap database every month.

Of course, even more needs to be done, and the introduction of tariffs from the US on UK automotive vehicles and parts is a bump in the road. We should not allow the actions of a few, however, to negatively impact the future of the many.

What we have always been calling for is certainty to enable us and other businesses like ours to continue to invest, and continue to build the charging network we know is needed to help more drivers make the transition. What the British Government is doing and saying gives us the confidence that the road ahead to an electric future remains clear, and we must not be distracted from our path.