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, reaching 100% of new car and van sales by 2035.

Similar mandates have been adopted in several countries and states in the United States, the European Union, and China, where they’ve proven effective at increasing EV uptake.

Some 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 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 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 either have to ‘trade’ certificates with other manufacturers who have exceeded their targets, or 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 its effects reach drivers directly:

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

The ZEV Mandate is under constant pressure from manufacturer lobbying, and decisions made now will shape the EV transition for years.

EVA England exists to make sure drivers, not just industry, have a voice in Government decisions.

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

Don’t let industry have the only say. Add your voice

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.

2019: The UK commits in law to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, to ensure the end of its contribution to Climate Change.
2020: Boris Johnson announces the “Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution”, setting 2030 as the end date for sales of new petrol and diesel cars and vans, and 2035 as the date by which all new cars and vans will need to be fully zero emission at the tailpipe.
2023: The UK Government pushes the phase-out date back to 2035, removing the need for ICE cars to be plug-in hybrids from 2030, though the ZEV trajectory itself remains unchanged:
- At least 22% of new cars and 10% of new vans to be zero-emission by 2024.
- 80% of all new car sales to be zero-emission by 2030.
2024: Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander confirms a return to the original 2030 phase-out date, alongside a consultation focusing on measures to support the industry in meeting that date.

The Government has also introduced several schemes and incentives to support the ZEV Mandate:

Plug-in van grant: Up to £2,500 for small vans and £5,000 for large vans.
Chargepoint grant for renters or flat owners: Up to £500 off purchase and installation costs.
Electric Car Grant: Up to £3,750 off on qualifying EVs under £37,000.

For more background, read our blog: 2030 and the ZEV mandate – what does that all mean?

How EVA England helped shape the ZEV Mandate in the UK

The ZEV Mandate hasn’t happened overnight – it’s been shaped through years of consultations and conversations, and EVA England has been at the table throughout.

In 2022, EVA England contributed to the Government’s consultation on ZEV uptake trajectories, certificate trading, and exemptions, as part of a coalition campaigning for a strong mandate. The results, announced in March 2023, confirmed the 2030/35 dates and the trajectory from 22% in 2024 to 100% by 2035 for new cars.

In 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. 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. We also ran member workshops and surveys to ensure the voice of EV drivers was reflected in our response, published as the Key Steps to Driving ZEV Demand report.

What we called for

Our report made a total of 14 recommendations to the Government, including:

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 the full report

Be part of what comes next

The ZEV Mandate isn’t settled.

Industry continues to push for delays and exemptions, and the Government’s response will shape the pace of the EV transition for the rest of the decade. Without driver voices, there’s a risk that the ZEV Mandate will be shaped around industry interests only.

EVA England’s policy work, briefing MPs, responding to consultations, and pushing back on industry pressure, is funded entirely by our members and supporters.

Become a member and help us bring driver voices into national debates.

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