LABOUR’S NET ZERO PLANS FACE ‘MAJOR HURDLES’ AMID WEAK DEMAND FOR ELECTRIC CARS
Labour’s proposed ban on new petrol cars faces “major hurdles” with less than half of sales expected to be electric by the target year of 2030, new research shows.
Sir Keir Starmer’s party has vowed to bring forward the current ban by five years if it wins power in Thursday’s election, undoing a change made by Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, last year.
But that will pose a significant challenge to the car industry, according to consultancy giant AlixPartners, as only 44pc of sales are expected to be electric by 2030 and 78pc by 2035.
Nick Parker, a senior partner and automotive analyst at the firm, said Labour would have little hope of hitting its 2030 target without considering financial incentives for consumers.
Industry data show that electric vehicle (EV) sales to private consumers have gone into reverse this year, with drivers put off by high costs.
Mr Parker said: “Battery electric vehicles face major hurdles within the UK market, with cost, charging infrastructure, charging time and battery life preventing many from making the leap to net zero.
“While there has been much talk of investment into charging infrastructure, the next government would be better advised to focus its efforts on making net zero vehicles affordable through vehicle subsidies.”
Asked about Labour’s proposal, he added: “They need to bring detail to the table on how they’re going to actually support the industry to execute this because, whether it’s charging infrastructure or incentives for consumers, there needs to be some sort of package alongside just an announcement that they’re going to move the ban back to 2030.
“They’re going to have to provide some sort of support to convince the public again that this is what they should be buying.
“Otherwise, a lot of people just won’t won’t be able to buy cars – because they won’t be able to afford a new EV.”
The Government’s current targets, set out under the so-called zero-emission vehicle mandate, require 80pc of sales by car makers to be electric by 2030 before a total ban on new petrol car sales in 2035.
That came after Mr Sunak delayed a previously announced 2030 ban by five years.
However, in its manifesto Labour has said it will undo the change announced by Mr Sunak if it secures victory in Thursday’s election.
Against a backdrop of “lukewarm” demand for EVs, AlixPartners says it also expects demand for hybrid vehicles to remain strong.
The company added that alternative technologies such as hydrogen-powered cars may also yet become a widely adopted solution but had “yet to be fully explored or invested in”.