ZEV Mandate | EVA England : EVA England

What is the ZEV Mandate?

The Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate is the UK’s roadmap for phasing out petrol and diesel cars which came into law on January 3, 2024.

It is a government policy tool that requires car manufacturers to sell a rising percentage of electric vehicles (EVs) each year, until 100% of new car and van sales are zero emission by 2035.

ZEV Mandates have been adopted in several countries and states in the United States, the European Union, and China, where it has shown to be successful in increasing the number of EVs on the road.

Some of benefits of having a ZEV Mandate in place include:

Reduced greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from ground transportation, which helps fight climate change.
Improved air quality in towns and cities as EVs do not produce tailpipe emissions.
Increased energy security as EVs by reducing the reliance on oil with largely homegrown energy sources.
Economic growth and job creation by bringing skilled jobs and investment in the energy and automotive sectors.

How does it work?

The ZEV Mandate is a complex policy, but it can be boiled down to a few key points:

Annual targets: Car manufacturers must sell a certain percentage of ZEVs each year, with the required percentage increasing each year until it reaches 100% in 2035.
Certificates: Car manufacturers will have ZEV sales converted into certificates and be required to hold a certain number of certificates at the end of each year in relation to the total number of vehicles they’ve sold.
Penalties: Manufacturers who fail to hit their target will either have to ‘trade’ certificates with other manufacturers who have exceeded their targets, or will be fined £15k per car.
Non-EVs: There are also separate targets to limit CO2 emissions from petrol and diesel cars.

Annual targets at a glance:

Year	2024	2025	2026	2027	2028	2029
Target	22%	28%	33%	38%	52%	66%
Year	2030	2031	2032	2033	2034	2035
Target	80%	84% (*)	88% (*)	92% (*)	96% (*)	100% (*)

(*) Target will be set out in future legislation later in the decade.

Why does it matter to drivers?

The ZEV Mandate is targeted at manufacturers, but it affects drivers too:

More EVs on the market should mean greater choice and lower prices over time.
Cleaner air and reduced emissions will benefit communities nationwide.
New policies linked to the ZEV Mandate, like grants for vans and chargepoints, can help lower upfront costs.

EVA England is here to make sure drivers’ voices are part of the Government decisions – not just the industry.

As the only organisation independent from the industry, our campaigns are designed by and for drivers.

Join us as a member to help shape the EV transition.

The UK Government’s commitments

The ZEV Mandate is part of the UK’s wider plan to cut emissions and reach net zero by 2050.

In 2019, the UK commits to meet net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, to ensure the end of its contribution to Climate Change.
In 2020, Boris Johnson announces his “Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution”, which outlines the end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030, and all new cars and vans to be fully zero emission at the tailpipe from 2035.
In 2023, the UK Government reviews this policy, pushing the phase-out date back to 2035. In effect, this policy removes the need for ICE cars to be plug-in hybrids from 2030, but the trajectory for ZEVs remains unchanged:
- At least 22% of new cars and 10% of new vans will need to be zero-emission by 2024.
- 80% of all new car sales will need to be zero-emission by 2030.
In 2024, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander confirms that phase-out date for the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles is pushed back to the original 2030 date, and launches a consultation focusing on measures to support the industry in meeting that date.

Over the years, the Government also introduced several schemes and incentives to support the ZEV Mandate:

Plug-in van grant of up to £2,500 for small vans and £5,000 for large vans.
Chargepoint grant for renters or flat owners, giving them £350 off the cost to buy and install a socket.
Electric Car Grant, with discounts of up to £3,750 on qualifying EVs under £37,000.

For more details on where the ZEV mandate comes from, and what it means, see our blog:

2030 and the ZEV mandate – what does that all mean?

Implementing the ZEV Mandate in the UK

The ZEV Mandate hasn’t happened overnight – it’s been shaped through years of consultation and policy decisions.

From April to June 2022, the Government ran a consultation on:
- the level of ZEV uptake (trajectories)
- Allocation and use of certificates
- Banking, borrowing and transfer of ZEV certificates
- Possible derogations and exemptions within the ZEV mandate
- Regulation the non-ZEV portion of the fleet.

EVA England contributed to this consultation as part of a coalition campaigning for a strong mandate. Following this consultation, the UK government announced the results of ZEV Mandate in March 2023, confirming the 2030/35 dates and the trajectory from 22% in 2024 to 100% by 2035 for new cars.

In December 2024, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander launched a new consultation, focusing on measures to support the industry in the costs of meeting the new 2030 phase-out date.

This public consultation called for stakeholders in the EV space, including drivers, to share their views on the current state of the transition, the technicalities of the ZEV Mandate itself, and what policies the Government should consider next to ensure EV uptake continues rising in accordance with upcoming decarbonisation targets.

EVA England set out the key challenges that we believe are slowing the EV transition, including upfront costs and disparities around reliable access to charging, and a set of recommendations to tackle them and support drivers.

EVA England ran member workshops and surveys during the consultation period to ensure the voice of EV drivers was heard in this consultation, and launched the Key Steps to Driving ZEV Demand report as part of our consultation response.

What we called for

In this report, we have made a total of 14 recommendations to the Government. This includes :

An expansion of popular workplace ‘salary sacrifice’ schemes.
The introduction of a scheme that allows access to lower cost EVs for lower income households, such as a France style social leasing scheme or used car loan scheme.
Simplified application and permit processes for the installation of cross-pavement charging solutions.
Minimum compliance with accessibility standards for drivers with disabilities.
Regulated signage for charging points to improve charge point visibility in terms of both location and cost.

Read our full report here

EVA England’s role

Without driver voices, there’s a risk that policies like the ZEV Mandate will be shaped around industry interests only.

By joining EVA England, you help us:

Bring real driver experiences into national debates.
Show Government that EV drivers are a community worth listening to.
Push for practical policies that support a fair and accessible EV transition.

Become a member today and make your voice heard.

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