Taxpayers face bill if electric car targets eased, industry warns

Taxpayers will have to foot the bill for new charging infrastructure across the country if the government weakens its transition to electric vehicles, the industry has warned. ChargeUK, the trade body for charging providers, said its members will be forced to cut the number of promised chargers, raise prices and renegotiate contracts with local councils should the government relax its goals. Most commented 1 Where’s Marie Curie? GCSE science ‘fails to credit women’ Science 232 comments 2 US withdraws diplomats from Saudi Arabia amid deadly Houthi attacks US news 202 comments 3 Alan Thornett obituary: union leader nicknamed ‘the Mole’ Obituaries 97 comments 4 MI5 spied on NHS founder Nye Bevan for decades History 87 comments 5 Times letters: Failure to protect the elderly in care homes Letters to the Editor 62 comments The government’s zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate states that by 2035 all car sales must be fully electric and manufacturers are expected to sell an increasing percentage of electric vehicles every year or face fines.

GETTY IMAGES This timeline is under review; parts of the car industry argue that it is unachievable and costs too much when consumer demand is tepid. Top stories 1 Tripsnacking? Finally a travel trend I can get on board with Advice One option being considered by the government is reducing the 2030 target of 80 per cent of all cars sold to be electric to as low as 50 per cent. Advertisement In a letter to John Healey , the chancellor, and Heidi Alexander , the transport secretary, Shane Brennan, chief executive of Charge UK, said its members are “investing billions” in charge points because of the ZEV mandate.

Top stories 1 High street banks are on borrowed time Saving & Investing 2 Belgium’s most stylish autumn weekend break — and it’s not Bruges Belgium “Operators are committing private capital in partnership with the government for a simple reason: the ZEV mandate sets — in law — a binding trajectory for the sale of electric cars,” he wrote. “The latest review reopens that settlement for the third time in three years, and initial estimates suggest that its most damaging options could mean over four million fewer electric cars sold by 2035.

Fewer cars mean fewer customers for every charge point.” Shane Brennan ChargeUK He said that, should the mandate be diluted, the industry would be left with three “unpalatable” choices: cut or delay promised chargers, raise the prices for people without driveways who rely on public charging stations, or reopen contracts with councils across England. There are about 122,000 public electric vehicle chargers in the UK. The government’s £381m Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (Levi) fund aims to support the installation of more than 100,000 in England.

Advertisement Brennan wrote: “The government’s consultation reckons with none of this. It cites the 100,000 charge points Levi is expected to deliver, as though the government could cut the cars and keep the chargers. “This is a contradiction that risks leaving the Treasury spending more taxpayer money later to fill the gaps left by reduced private investment. “We urge you to ensure that support for the automotive industry does not come at the expense of commitments the government has already made to bring charging investment to communities across England.”

Through private investment, the industry is hoping to increase the number of public chargers across the country to more than half a million by 2035. The car industry has lobbied heavily for a reduction to the ZEV mandate. Advertisement Last week François Provost, the boss of Renault, said Britain must scrap a “stupid” 2030 ban on sales of petrol and diesel cars to seal a crucial trade deal with the European Union. September was a record-breaking month for electric car sales in the UK with nearly 100,000 sold — up 36 per cent in a year.

More than two million are currently registered on the road, about 7 per cent of the total number of cars. François Provost BENOIT TESSIER/Reuters The consultation on the mandate closes on Friday, October 23, and the final decision is likely to be announced next year. James Court, director of public policy at Octopus Electric Vehicles, told The Times: “Weakening the ZEV mandate risks making electric driving more expensive for the very households who stand to benefit from it.

“Businesses have committed investment on the strength of government policy. Undermining that confidence now risks leaving drivers paying more and taxpayers picking up the bill.” Advertisement The Department for Transport said: “We are committed to the ZEV mandate, with our consultation aimed at ensuring we ensure we are taking a pragmatic and balanced approach.”