The boss of car maker Ford has warned electric car targets will force prices of petrol vehicles up. Martin Sander, general manager of Ford’s European electric car division, issued a warning over the UK government ZEV mandate and the issues it’ll pose for car brands.
He said: “It’s really important for politicians to monitor what is going on and that the ZEV targets, this year, next year, going forward, are roughly in line with consumer demand. This is what we need. You cannot push vehicles into the market against demand.”
He told the Financial Times Future of the Car Summit Ford would be able to meet the net zero goals with its consistent output of electric vehicles, but said it would not be paying penalties. He added: “The only alternative is to take our shipments of ICE [internal combustion engine] vehicles to the UK down and sell them somewhere else.
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“I don’t know if consumers will like seeing the ICE prices going up.” Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders chief executive, Mike Hawes, said: “The automotive industry is investing billions in decarbonisation and recognises the importance of the zero emission vehicle mandate as the single most important measure to deliver net zero.
“We welcome the clarity the mandate’s publication provides for the next 6 years and the flexibilities it contains to support pragmatic, equitable delivery across this diverse sector. Manufacturers offer a vast range of zero-emission vehicles, but demand must also match supply – that means making ZEVs affordable by incentivising drivers to make the switch now and delivering the infrastructure to meet consumer expectations.”
Lisa Brankin, Ford UK Chair, said at the time of the ZEV mandate being announced: “Ford’s electric vehicle plans in Europe are unwavering and we will offer an exciting all-electric car line-up by 2030. Ford has backed plans for a UK zero-emission vehicle mandate because it provides a strong investment signal to infrastructure providers to accelerate installation of new charge points.
“Alongside the SMMT, Ford has provided input to the Department for Transport to help shape the mandate in the early years and it is very welcome to see some of those ideas reflected.”
