A new divide is appearing in the automotive sector, nit between EV makers and ICE creators, but between the electric infrastructure providers and carmakers over the ZEV Mandate.

On the one side are the suppliers and charge point companies who see the Mandate as providing a clear way forward, allowing for a smooth transition and allowing for forward planning and investment. On the other the manufacturers who are reeling from Chinese imports, ever changing rules and public apathy.

For ZEV supporters, Gurjeet Grewal, CEO of Octopus Electric Vehicles, provides the commentary: "The ZEV mandate is working. It's giving manufacturers the confidence to invest and drivers the confidence to switch. Global brands like Chery are choosing the UK because they see a market with clear direction. Weakening the mandate now would send exactly the wrong signal to businesses looking to create jobs and invest here.”

For the carmakers, Mike Hawaes of the SMMT notes that although, “the UK has the largest EV market share of any major European economy, that the EV passenger car market grew by nearly a quarter last year, that vehicle manufacturers all complied with the ZEV Mandate in 2024. But the cost is phenomenal. Since the introduction of the ZEV Mandate, industry has provided more than £10 billion in vehicle discounts alone to help stimulate demand beyond its natural level. That scale of intervention is simply unsustainable – particularly as current realities differ so starkly from the optimism that shaped the mandate in 2021.”

The Government has committed to a review of the Mandate, but this might not be revealed until 2027. Between the two sides an uncertain, and somewhat changeable in every way, Government might try to make a decision, but on current form it is torn two ways and the uncertainty pleases no one.

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