Both Toyota and Honda have called upon the government to ease new rules which aim to begin fining carmakers from next year unless one fifth of the new vehicles they sell produce zero carbon emissions.
In a statement issued to the Telegraph on Wednesday, Toyota made clear that “Toyota is not objecting to the ZEV [Zero Emission Vehicle] mandate itself. However, the proposal for a new zero emissions vehicle mandate in January 2024 is challenging due to its quick introduction timing.”
In another statement in the Telegraph, Honda expressed similar misgivings, saying, “we are concerned that we still have not had sight of the detailed rules for the ZEV, which comes into force in less than six months.”
Honda’s statement continued with a plea to the government, “to operate the mandate on a ’monitoring only' basis in 2024” to allow the industry (and consumers), “time to adapt.”
This comes at the same time as the UK’s car industry trade body has voiced criticism of the government’s rollout of electric vehicle chargers.
In a statement made to the Financial Times on Wednesday, the chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), Mike Hawes, said a shortage of “affordable and fair and timely” connections was frustrating charging companies. The group called for a speeding up in the “painfully slow” connection of vehicle chargers to the power grid, suggesting that the delay was preventing consumers from purchasing new electric vehicles.
However, Mr. Hawes also recommended that clarification was essential with both major parties questioning their environmental targets in recent weeks, following pushback against London mayor, Sadiq Khan’s plans to extend the city’s ultra-low emissions zone. He went on to say that such wavering in commitments were, “unhelpful for the consumer, unhelpful for investors, and the industry, having made those investments and strategy decisions, can’t row back on them.”
Speaking to The Epoch Times over text, Howard Cox, founder of campaign group FairFuelUK and London mayoral candidate for Reform UK, stated, “Undemocratic and un-consulted production edicts enforced on vehicle manufacturers to meet the zero-emissions vehicle (ZEV) mandate are simply fantasy politics and un-Conservative. These Japanese car giants are rightly challenging the crass stupidity of this ‘Tory in name only’ Government meddling in market demand.”
While both Toyota and Honda stated their approval of overall government policy, as it pushes for decarbonisation, their concern was with the speed at which the ZEV mandate was being rushed through.
However, Mr. Cox in his statement warned, that “Forcing the premature adoption of a now proven less than green technology has huge costs which are not covered by the environmental benefits.”
He raised further concern over the net economic benefit, stating the, “2030 Diesel/Petrol Ban will cost at least five times the alleged environmental benefits—So what’s the point of bankrupting the economy?”
With Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appearing to waver on hardline commitments to net zero policy and turning towards a “pragmatic” approach, earlier in July, more groups may see this rhetoric as an opportune moment to raise concerns over the upcoming mandate.
As competition rages on between the major parties, to seize political capital over ‘green’ policy-making, Sir Keir Starmer will be eager to ensure that he emerges with perceived credibility.
On July 27, 2023, the shadow secretary of state of climate change and net zero, Ed Milliband, laid to rest any suggestion of his party leader, Mr. Starmer, as having wavered on his commitment to green policies. Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s “World At One” programme, he dismissed any suggestions of a rift in the Labour camp as Westminster “tittle-tattle.”
The government is yet to formally respond to the concerns raised by the Japanese multinational automobile giants or those expressed by the SMMT.
