Drivers face 'new incentive' from Labour to ditch petrol or diesel car

The UK needs to have 22 per cent of new car sales electric by this year but o nly 17.2 per cent of cars sold in the UK this year were electric.
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


The UK has been urged to "step up" to fix the "worst ever" electric vehicle crisis - as drivers REFUSE to switch from petrol and diesel motors. The UK needs to have 22 per cent of new car sales electric by this year but o nly 17.2 per cent of cars sold in the UK this year were electric.

The new Labour Party government's ambitious targets for zero-emission vehicle sales are at risk of being missed, experts have warned. Matt Galvin, UK managing director of Swedish car company Polestar has criticised the lack of customer incentives in Britain, describing it as "the worst" in Europe for encouraging the transition to electric cars.

"It is widely understood and accepted that the UK is the most poorly incentivised market in Europe for transitioning to electric cars," Galvin stated. "We are the worst - make no bones about it - it is fact." Mr Galvin criticised the ZEV mandate for creating an "unnatural" marketplace.

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He said: "What we're missing right now is some support and incentives from the government to help with that transition. The time is now for the government to step in and provide some mechanism to assist customers in the transition. It can't all be sticks, we've got to have some carrots too."

Galvin added: "We need to do our bit, and I think we are, and the government needs to do its bit. That's super important." He called for a "short period of VAT-free on new cars" to stimulate demand. "I think we're at the point now where we need a bit of a shock," he stated.

Galvin went on and said that the Government needs to step in and “step up to provide some compelling incentives to assist this change". He also called for clarity on the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel car sales, particularly regarding hybrid vehicles.