From NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT
By Paul Homewood
Too little, too late from the SMMT:
From the Observer:
The motor industry has urged the government to revise its targets for electric vehicles, unanimously warning that the current zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate will result in a loss of inward investment and British jobs.
So what? Car makers broadly accept that decarbonisation is inevitable, but the industry still feels squeezed by :
- •industrial energy costs that are among the highest in Europe;
- •mandated EV sales targets that it says don’t match consumer demand, and which result in fines for companies if not met;
- •competition from Chinese companies that sell into the UK, but barely invest; and
- •a decade of self-inflicted trade friction with the EU.
CHX and balances. To make matters more complicated, the UK may be about to get a chancellor who is deeply committed to net zero targets, and the automotive sector is already pushing back.
Attendees of the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) annual conference yesterday were unequivocal that Ed Miliband – who is largely viewed as an architect of higher energy costs – would be the wrong choice.
“He’s totally incompetent. No good for business at all. It’ll be a disaster,” said Stephen Morley, President of the Confederation of British Metalforming. Another attendee described Miliband as “without a doubt, inflationary”.
Miliband, as energy secretary, has previously stated the importance of a “commitment to our world-leading EV transition plan”, despite rumours last month that Keir Starmer intended to relax the rules.
By the numbers. Fast-moving politics aside, there’s a disconnect between the government’s aspirations and the reality on the road.
- •24%: ZEV market share in the UK, year to date (half of which the SMMT says is driven by subsidies rather than “natural” demand).
- •38%: ZEV mandate target for next year, rising to 52% in 2028.
- •95%: what the government’s Committee on Climate Change (CCC) assumes the market share for electric vehicles to reach by 2030.
Mike Hawes, the chief executive of the SMMT, said that the CCC’s analysis did not take into account “industrial consequences” and that “if we all have to buy EVs from abroad, so be it. The UK will meet its climate goals, but… the domestic industry will be collateral damage.”
Full story here.
It’s a pity Mike Hawes did not have the balls to stand up years ago and fight the suicidal ZEV mandates before they took effect. Instead he meekly supported the electric car agenda.
