Open letter to the First Secretary of State – Don’t weaken the ZEV Mandate

EVA England has written to the First Secretary of State Rt Hon Louise Haigh MP, urging Government not to weaken the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate as decisions are taken on the outcome of its review.

As Prime Minister Andy Burnham champions electrification and UK climate leadership at COP31 today, EVA England has written to First Secretary of State Louise Haigh urging Government not to weaken the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate. Ministers are reportedly considering reducing the 2030 EV sales target from 80% to 60%, despite the mandate being identified as the UK’s biggest single net zero policy intervention, estimated to deliver almost 14% of required emissions savings between 2028 and 2032.

In the letter, Dr Vicky Edmonds, Chief Executive of EVA England, warns that further weakening the mandate is “sending the wrong signal” to consumers at a critical moment in the transition.

“People are not being mandated to buy electric – they must choose to do so,” she writes.

What the letter says

The ZEV Mandate is helping to build a market that is starting to work for consumers. EVs account for 26.6% of sales so far in 2026, there are now over 126,000 public chargepoint connections across 48,000 locations, and the chargepoint sector’s economic contribution under the current trajectory is expected to rise to £15.5 billion by 2035.

But that progress is under threat. Our latest survey of 2,635 drivers found that 93% of EV drivers would recommend an EV to friends and family, yet 38% say recent Government announcements and policy changes have affected their confidence in driving electric.

Rather than lowering ambition, EVA England is calling on Government to address the barriers holding drivers back from switching:

• Upfront cost: Re-target the Electric Car Grant at the middle and lower income households who need it most, and look seriously at targeted social leasing schemes.
• Affordable charging: Take forward the Cost of Public Charging Review’s recommendations in full, alongside the commitment to ‘tariff porting’, so prices improve across the whole public network, including rapid chargers.
• A charging network fit for purpose: Only 48% of EV drivers now believe the public network is improving, down from 69% last year. We are calling for an independent, statutory body to monitor compliance with the public chargepoint regulations and give drivers a route to resolving complaints.
• eVED: Delay the introduction of eVED, the proposed pay per mile scheme, until at least 2030, so that it can work for drivers from day one.

As Dr Edmonds writes, “The answer to increasing the demand we need to see is not to lower ambition and investment in a growing sector. It is to remove the barriers preventing drivers from choosing electric in the first place.”

Help us put drivers at the heart of the EV transition

From opposing changes that would undermine the ZEV Mandate, to tackling the cost barriers facing lower and middle income households, and pushing for fair and reliable public charging, our work spans every stage of the transition.

By becoming a member or donating directly to EVA England, you help strengthen our voice and support our work to keep EV drivers’ concerns at the heart of government decisions.

Together, we can make sure the switch to electric is fair for every driver.