Manufacturers delay deliveries to meet EV sales targets

Makers accused of 'rationing by the back door' to avoid hefty fines

Manufacturers delay deliveries to meet EV sales targets
Photo: Bigstock

Car manufacturers are reportedly delaying the delivery of new petrol and diesel cars until January 2025 to meet the government’s stringent electric vehicle (EV) sales targets.

This tactic, known as “rationing by the back door,” aims to artificially inflate EV sales figures and avoid hefty fines for failing to meet the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate.

Robert Forrester, CEO of Vertu Motors, expressed concerns about this practice. He revealed that new petrol and diesel cars, already sold to customers, are being held in compounds until the new year to boost EV sales figures.

The ZEV mandate, introduced in 2024, sets binding targets for EV sales, requiring manufacturers to meet specific quotas each year. Failure to meet these targets results in significant financial penalties. To avoid these penalties, manufacturers are resorting to various strategies, including delaying deliveries and offering substantial discounts on EVs.

Industry experts and manufacturers have raised concerns about the impact of the ZEV mandate on the UK automotive industry. Some argue that the targets are too ambitious and could lead to job losses and reduced consumer choice.

As the automotive industry navigates these challenges, it remains to be seen whether the government will adjust its policies to balance environmental goals with the needs of the industry and consumers.

Source: Daily Mail

2 Comments

  1. Can you blame them, stupid onerous EV targets for cars that no one wants.
    And on that subject, European car makers are struggling with sales. So rather than support them what do the dealers do? Sign up to Chinese manufacturers. It defies belief that dealers and dealer groups are doing this, why are they supporting China? I know profit is a main reason but come on, get your loyalties in place, shame on you.

    Reply
  2. You can’t sell what people don’t want to buy. Personally i’d rather wait for my fossil fuel vehicle than get an EV

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

Have your say!

0 1

Lost Password

Please enter your username or email address. You will receive a link to create a new password via email.