Inconsistent government policy and confused communication are undermining the UK’s shift to electric vehicles and posing a real risk to meeting the Seventh Carbon Budget, MPs have been warned.

Tanya Sinclair, chief executive of campaign group Electric Vehicles UK (EVUK), has told MPs that confidence in EVs remains high, but confidence in government policy does not, and it’s this gap that’s slowing progress.

Sinclair appeared before the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) on 3 December, giving oral evidence as part of the committee’s inquiry into the UK’s next statutory carbon target for 2038-2042.

“The electrification of transport is a market-led transition. But markets only succeed when policy is consistent. Right now, that consistency is missing,” Sinclair told the committee.

During the session, Sinclair highlighted the Budget announcement of the 3p-per-mile eVED road tax for EVs from 2028 as a prime example of how unclear messaging can destabilise behaviour.

“Some in the e-mobility sector didn’t realise the new mileage tax was under consultation. That’s how unclear communication has been. The negative impact on market confidence began immediately, even though the policy is potentially years away,” Sinclair outlined.

She warned MPs that premature or confusing announcements have already nudged some drivers away from EVs and towards full hybrids; behaviour that risks slowing decarbonisation at precisely the wrong moment.

Sinclair also warned MPs not to tinker with ZEV mandate targets again.

In response to the committee describing van and fleet electrification as “off track”, Sinclair’s view was unequivocal.

“The single most important policy for fleet and van electrification is staying the course on the ZEV mandate. That stability will unlock scale,” she stated.

She warned that any wavering would slow production, depress investment and stall the very markets needed to meet the Seventh Carbon Budget targets.

Another major theme of her evidence was the growing impact of misinformation, which Sinclair described as a direct threat to EV uptake.

“A rise in EV misinformation is directly affecting driver confidence and purchase intent. People need a trusted, impartial source of facts.”

She told MPs that EVUK was created specifically to help drivers “see, feel and drive an EV” without entering a sales environment, addressing what she called the UK’s “confidence gap”.

Sinclair stressed that the fundamentals of the EV market remain strong. Today’s EVs regularly deliver 300-500 miles of range, compared with under 100 miles five years ago. EV prices are expected to reach parity with petrol cars between 2026 and 2028, with some models already at that point due to grants and manufacturer pricing.

And charging “is working far better than public perception suggests”, Sinclair added.

“We must not let discussion of charging challenges overshadow the fact that the EV market outlook is robust and the vehicles are highly capable,” she stressed.

Sinclair also highlighted outdated assumptions in early charging business models.

“Many charging business models were built on utilisation assumptions that no longer reflect how people actually charge their EVs. Drivers don’t need national charger numbers. They need to know whether charging is available where they live, work and travel.”

Sinclair told the Committee that charging targets have prioritised quantity over usefulness, creating a distorted picture of accessibility.

She also pointed to ongoing systemic challenges, including grid connection delays, planning bottlenecks and inconsistent counting of chargers across units, connectors and sites.