The UK Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate, in SMMT's own words: three statements from 2022, 2023 and 2025

The UK Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate is the UK regulation whose targets SMMT, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, the UK motor industry trade association, describes as "incredibly challenging" — and which Hawes in 2023 called "the single most important measure to deliver net zero." SMMT issued dated statements at these three stages: when the government published its proposals (7 April 2022), when the mandate was confirmed (28 September 2023), and when the government amended it (6 April 2025). All three were attributed to Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, and each is quoted here as published on smmt.co.uk.

Read in sequence, the three statements document a position that changes little in substance even as the regulation itself evolves: SMMT accepts the ambition and commits its members to decarbonization, but repeatedly argues that regulation compelling manufacturers to produce must be matched by incentives that encourage consumers to buy, and by binding targets for charging infrastructure. What follows quotes each statement in its own words.

2022: the proposals — 'pragmatic, flexible' and matched with incentives

Responding to the government's ZEV Mandate proposals on 7 April 2022, Hawes called them "the most ambitious of any major market in the world" and acknowledged that the sector "continues to invest billions in a wide and growing range of zero emission vehicles." But he set a condition that recurred in the later statements: "regulation must encourage consumers to purchase, not just compel manufacturers to produce."

The same statement warned against over-complexity and set out the mechanism SMMT believes drives the transition fastest, along with its infrastructure demand:
- "Any mandate must be pragmatic, flexible and reflective of every manufacturer’s long-term commitment."
- "Market transformation is proven to work fastest when mandates are matched with incentives and, for automotive electrification, we also need commensurate and binding targets for infrastructure provision."
- "We will now work closely with government during its consultation process to ensure that the final regulation helps the market transition to zero emission motoring."

2023: the confirmed mandate — clarity, but 'no private consumer incentives'

When the mandate was confirmed, SMMT's statement of 28 September 2023 opened on a note of relief about timing: "With less than 100 days to go, manufacturers finally have clarity on what they are required to sell next year and up to 2030." Hawes called the mechanism "the single most important measure to deliver net zero" while noting that "Delivering the mandate will challenge the industry, despite the flexibilities now included to support pragmatic, equitable delivery given this diverse sector."

The gap SMMT had flagged in 2022 remained. The 2023 statement noted that "the mandate means the UK still retains the most ambitious transition timeline of any major market but without any private consumer incentives," and raised a new source of uncertainty — "the lack of a post-2030 regulatory framework, including a definition as to the vehicles eligible for sale from 2030 to 2035, creates investment uncertainty." It repeated the 2022 formula almost verbatim: "an attractive package of fiscal and other incentives, mandated infrastructure targets and a consistent message that encourages drivers to switch now."

2025: the amendments — 'the government has rightly listened'

By the statement of 6 April 2025, on changes to the mandate, the tone toward government was warmer: "The government has rightly listened to industry, responded quickly to global dynamics and recognised the intense pressure manufacturers are under." But the demand had not changed: "Industry remains committed to decarbonising road transport but the ZEV Mandate targets are incredibly challenging, especially with a paucity of consumer demand and geopolitical upheaval."

The 2025 statement also widened its frame beyond the UK regulation itself, citing US tariffs and asking for fiscal incentives and trade policy:
- "Growing EV demand to the levels needed still requires equally bold fiscal incentives, however, to give motorists full confidence to switch."
- "given the potentially severe headwinds facing manufacturers following the introduction of US tariffs, greater action will almost certainly be needed to safeguard our industry’s competitiveness."
- "UK-US negotiations must continue at pace, while the long-awaited industrial and trade strategies should prioritise automotive and be delivered at speed."

Reading these statements

Each statement is dated as shown — 7 April 2022, 28 September 2023 and 6 April 2025 — as published on smmt.co.uk. These are the positions of the manufacturers' trade association, not the regulator's, and SMMT's statements are advocacy documents: their characterizations, such as targets being "incredibly challenging," are its own.