Britain’s Auto Industry’s Case for Weakening the ZEV Mandate Does Not Stack Up.

Earlier this year, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) published its Same Destination, Smarter Route report on the UK’s transition to zero-emission vehicles.

Despite acknowledging some progress, the report seeks to undermine confidence in the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate introduced in 2024. It calls for an early review and pushes proposals that would dilute the UK’s EV targets, undermining the very policy certainty industry needs and risking a slowdown in the transition at a critical moment.

T&E UK’s analysis shows that many of SMMT’s headline claims do not stand up to scrutiny. The report leans heavily on selective evidence, unsupported assertions, and misleading interpretations that exaggerate challenges while ignoring clear signs of significant market progress.

At a time when the UK should be accelerating towards zero-emission transport, this kind of narrative risks doing real damage: eroding consumer and investor confidence, confusing policymakers, and holding back investment in the transition.

So what does the evidence actually show, and where does the SMMT’s argument fall short? Here are four of the examples of the inaccurate claims.

SMMT claim: Manufacturers subsidised EVs by £10 billion across 2024–2025 to meet ZEV targets.

Fact check: 845,346 BEVs were sold over this period. A £10 billion subsidy would equal an average discount of £11,829 per vehicle - more than double the £5,006-£5,647 average discount identified by JATO and Autotrader between 2024 and 2026. With no clear methodology or source, SMMT’s figure appears significantly overstated.

SMMT claim: Consumer appetite for EVs is weak.

Fact check: The data shows the opposite. UK BEV sales rose 31% year-on-year in May2026, making them the fastest-growing car segment. Demand is accelerating alongside higher petrol and diesel prices, and BEVs now attract more consumer enquiries than any other new car type on Autotrader.

SMMT claim: Charging infrastructure is not keeping pace.

Fact check: Chargepoint rollout has exceeded the trajectory anticipated by the Department for Transport every year since the projection was made. The number of publicly available charging plugs actually exceeds DfT's projection by 28% in April 2026.

SMMT claim: Battery costs are not falling as expected.

Fact check: This misreads the data. Battery prices for EVs have fallen 77% over the past decade. BloombergNEF reports passenger EV battery pack prices dropped below the $100/kWh price projected in 2021 in both 2024 and 2025 —beating earlier projections despite inflation.

“Let’s be clear: the SMMT has spent years overstating the challenges of the EV transition while downplaying industry inaction to justify weakening the ZEV mandate. The reality is much simpler. Carmakers that moved early, like Renault, are now gaining market share in the UK and globally thanks to great new EV models. Those that delayed are not victims of policy; they are betting on political backtracking. That is not a strategy, it is a gamble that risks leaving them behind in a rapidly electrifying global market.” Tim Dexter, T&E UK Vehicles Policy Manager said.

Any further weakening of the ZEV mandate would jeopardise the future of the UK automotive sector. Derailing necessary investments from carmakers to keep up with global EV competition, charge point operators, battery manufacturers -including AESC in Sunderland which has already received £1 billion in investment- and the wider EV supply chain ready to invest in the UK. T&E analysis is clear: stable policy is critical to unlocking investment in infrastructure and domestic manufacturing.

Meanwhile, electric vehicles are already saving drivers around £50 a month compared to petrol, with those savings set to grow. Petrol car drivers are around four times more exposed to energy price shocks, with costs of roughly £0.17 per mile versus just £0.01 for home EV charging, and £109 to fill up compa -red to £59 to charge.

‘’This is not just about emissions, it is about shielding consumers from volatile oil markets, cutting reliance on imports, and future-proofing the UK against further shocks. Weakening policy now risks locking drivers into higher costs and greater energy insecurity at exactly the wrong time. If Ministers weaken policy it will be households that ultimately pay the price’’. Tim Dexter added.

The choice is simple: back British manufacturing, lower driving costs and the clean transition, or hand the future to those who want Britain to follow, not lead.

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