Major UK fleets including BT Group, LeasePlan, Openreach and Royal Mail have called on the Government to set clear, ambitious sales targets for zero-emission vehicles in the upcoming ZEV mandate.

28 leading UK businesses have urged the Government to set bolder sales targets for cars and vans to encourage supply of electric vehicles

Responding to the third and final consultation on the issue, a group of 28 leading UK businesses have urged the Government to set bolder sales targets for cars and vans to encourage supply of electric vehicles.

Speaking on behalf of the UK Electric Fleets Coalition (UKEFC), which is run by the international non-profit Climate Group, the businesses say that such a move would support companies already investing in their electric fleets to go fully electric even faster.

Climate Group has warned that many businesses are ready to invest but are unable to secure the electric vehicles that meet their specifications in the quantity they need – a problem that’s most acute in the UK’s commercial van sector.

Mandating that manufacturers sell more EVs, with stronger interim targets for sales in 2024 and 2027, would boost supply and help businesses go electric faster, Climate Group said.

But the UK’s ZEV mandate should also be simple, the organisation said – consistent across the Home Nations with limited flexibilities and loopholes. A UK-wide ZEV mandate makes life much easier for businesses, who have warehouses and depots all over the UK.

Sandra Roling, director of transport at the Climate Group, said: “It’s up to the UK government to offer the support businesses and drivers need in the switch to cleaner vehicles. The demand is clearly there, and our business members have consistently called for a ZEV mandate to help drive the EV supply – it’s vital to ensure cars and in particular vans are available in the volume and variety that companies need.

“To do this, we need more ambitious interim sales targets, so we’re urging decision makers to push the boundaries.

“The businesses we work with – such as BT Openreach, LeasePlan and Royal Mail – are committed to investing in the technology, and with a simple, UK-wide and ambitious ZEV mandate introduced in 2024, they can help transform the UK’s roads faster.

“The sooner the mandate comes in, the better.”

While the Government had been expected to reveal details of the long-awaited ZEV mandate earlier this year as part of new Powering Up Britain plans, it instead announced a further consultation, which closed this week.

The consultation sought views on areas including the level of ZEV uptake. It proposed a sliding scale of EV production get underway in 2024 with 22% of car sales and 10% of van sales being zero-emission, rising to 80% and 70% respectively in 2030.

Openreach – the second largest commercial fleet in the UK – has said a bold ZEV mandate was vital to help address vehicle shortages.

BT’s network arm is leading the charge to convert all of its diesel fleet to electric by 2030 and said it expect to have around 4,000 electric vans in its fleet by the end of March 2024.

But supply shortages are hampering efforts and the business said a robust ZEV mandate could help with its decarbonisation plans.

Catherine Colloms, managing director of corporate affairs & brand, commented: “We’re serious about our responsibilities to the planet and the communities we serve. As part of that we’ve pledged to be a net zero business and switch the bulk of our commercial van fleet to zero emissions by 2030.”

She added: “But like others, we continue to face shortages in the vehicle supply chain especially when it comes to range, functionality and choice – for some vehicle types there is simply no option yet.

“Therefore, it’s imperative that Government pushes ahead with the ZEV mandate so that we can lead the world when it comes to decarbonisation.”