Car makers must achieve an EV sales mix in 2025 of 28%, rising to 80% by 2030, or face heavy fines
The UK will not achieve the government’s target of 80% EV sales by 2030 without incentives of some kind being made available to private buyers.
That’s according to new Renault UK boss Adam Wood, who said that while the new Renault 5, priced from £22,240, can “break the glass ceiling” of mainstream electric car ownership, more is needed before mass take-up is achieved.
Currently government legislation under the Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV) Mandate demands that 28% of a carmaker’s total sales are electric vehicles, rising each year to 80% in 2030. Heavy fines are dished out to those who miss these targets.
Last year, 15% of Renault’s 86,000 UK sales were EV, 7% below 2024’s 22% target. Nevertheless, Q4’s EV sales mix of 22%, driven by the new Scenic E-Tech, showed promise
“If we’re to meet that ambitious target – and I appreciate that it is a delicate balancing act – we need a clear, robust plan, together across industry, with the charging industry as well, and with government, to get us there,” Wood told journalists at his first official briefing.
Alongside incentives, Wood says Renault is demanding that installation of chargers be accelerated – especially on-street – as well as better communication between all parties involved in the consultation.
This last part is probably the most important in terms of achieving success, Wood said, as “we are not seeing the demand curve hit the same curve demanded by the ZEV Mandate”. This means more dialogue is needed to set achievable targets. “It is a team game,” he added, “We need a system that brings confidence.”
When asked which of these demands was the most important to Renault, he said: “I do not think it is an either/or situation. We have to address every customer concern if we are going to grow exponentially.”
Another issue faced by car makers and legislators alike is that there is “no historical precedent” to look back on nor benchmark against when it comes to the mandate, said Wood, who added: “Certainly, it’s an uncertain future. We just don’t know the speed of demand.”
To grow that speed, the price of EVs needs to drop, either by car makers bringing to market cheaper products, or incentives – either in the form of public charging VAT cutting or on the buying costs of cars – coming to the fore.
“Customers are saying the major objections are, firstly, upfront purchase. Now, you’re right that more and more [affordable] vehicles coming to the market are going to address that. Nevertheless, there is a perception there, and we need to listen to it.
“What we need, is an acceleration quickly in the demand, which is target.”
The Renault 5 and upcoming 4 show there is a demand for EVs, at the right price, says Wood, and the inclusion of the new Twingo in the UK would help this further.
“Cars that break the glass ceiling are always welcome,” he said, adding that he is “pushing for it” to come to the UK. Renault is still weighing up the viability of a right-hand drive Twingo.
“The reaction here has been very good,” he added. “I think it makes sense to follow 4 and 5.
Source: Autocar
