New Prime Minister Andy Burnham has been warned against reducing electric vehicle targets as latest research shows that only a small minority of the public supports a slowdown of the nation’s EV transition.

Polling commissioned by charging industry association ChargeUK and conducted by YouGov shows that whilst 37% believe the move should be slowed, 34% said that the pace is about right and 19% that it should be sped up. Over one in 10 (11%) said they did not know.

The data presents a particularly stark warning for the Prime Minister regarding his own electoral base. Among those who voted for Labour in the 2024 General Election, opposition to a policy rollback is overwhelming. Only 21% of 2024 Labour voters support a slowdown, compared to 41% who believe the pace is correct and 27% who want to see it sped up.

The polling results arrive amid widespread reports that the Government is considering an immediate review to water down the legally binding Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate targets. Automotive manufacturers lagging behind on electrification have heavily lobbied the Government for a policy relaxation. However, the fresh data indicates that the newly installed Prime Minister and his refreshed cabinet would be going against public and particularly Labour voters’ opinion, if they were to weaken EV policy by reducing sales targets.

Slowing the EV transition could particularly harm the Labour government’s popularity with younger voters as age plays a significant factor in views on the pace of transition. Around a third (36%) of 18- to 24-year-olds support speeding up transport electrification, a figure which falls for successive age categories – 21% for 25- to 49-year-olds, 14% for 50- to 64-year-olds and 11% for the 65 and overs.

ChargeUK has been vocal in warning against further changes to the ZEV mandate, which sets automakers’ EV sales quotas and provides the charging industry with the foreseeable demand which underpins infrastructure investment.

The association recently published polling data from YouGov which showed that reducing public charging prices to below the cost of petrol could boost EV demand by 48%. Meanwhile, recent Department for Transport statistics show that 8% of UK adults already drive a battery electric vehicle.

Jarrod Birch, head of policy and public affairs at ChargeUK, implored the Prime Minister to hold the line.

“The British public is supportive of cleaner, cheaper driving – Labour voters especially. So, if Andy Burnham wants to deliver a voter-backed win for people’s pockets whilst reducing the country’s reliance on foreign oil, he need look no further than committing to an ironclad ZEV mandate.

“Combined with action to address the policies unnecessarily pushing up the costs of public EV charging, this would ensure even more drivers can enjoy the significant savings from electric driving – on top of the nearly four and a half million EV drivers who are already reaping the benefits.”

Perran Moon, Labour MP for Camborne and Redruth and chair of the Electric Vehicle APPG (All-Party Parliamentary Group), warned that weakening the mandate could alienate public support and ignore critical infrastructure investors in favour of legacy automakers.

“It is clear that the Government only has ears for legacy manufacturers that have failed to invest adequately in the EV transition but is not listening to the EV supply chain – from UK lithium mining, to UK battery production and then the UK charge point operators who are today investing billions into the infrastructure needed to support the transition.

“The irony of all of this is that over than 77% of all cars manufactured in the UK are not even subject to the UK ZEV mandate as they are exported!

“But we all know that the real reason for their lobbying of the Government is to ultimately delay the banning of new petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030 — which was a manifesto commitment. The dilution of the ZEV mandate should be resisted by Government.”

In its response, Octopus Electric Vehicles said there is real demand for electric cars.

Gurjeet Grewal, chief executive of the one-stop-shop electric car, charger and energy provider, commented: “The message from the public is clear: they don’t want the UK to slam the brakes on the EV transition. Crucially, among younger people – who will live with the consequences longest – a third want to see it go faster.

“What drivers need now is certainty, not mixed messages. The Government has a chance to give drivers and manufacturers a clear direction of travel and back the transition, rather than risk confusing people by constantly moving the goalposts.”