National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) represents franchised car and commercial vehicle retailers in the UK. There are more than 4,500 franchise outlets in the UK and over 540,000 people working in the automotive retail sector. NFDA today acknowledges the UK Government’s changes to the ZEV Mandate. The Government has announced the following: Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate: Adjustments to make it easier for the industry to upgrade to electric vehicles. Phase-Out Dates: Confirmation of the phase-out of new petrol and diesel car sales by 2030, with hybrids allowed until 2035. Financial Support: £2.3 billion allocated to boost manufacturing of zero emission vehicles and assist people in switching to electric vehicles. Industrial Strategy: A modern strategy to be published in spring to support British businesses in future industries. Flexibility for Manufacturers: Increased flexibility in the mandate up to 2030. Hybrid Cars: Allowed to be sold until 2035 to ease the transition. Investment: Over £6 billion of private funding lined up for chargepoint roll-out by 2030. Sue Robinson, CEO of NFDA, commented: ” NFDA has been lobbying, on behalf of its members, to have amendments made to the ZEV mandate for several years. The previous iteration of the ZEV mandate was causing significant harm to the UK automotive sector, which as the Government rightly points out, employs 152,000 people and adding £19 billion to the UK economy. “We therefore welcome the changes made today as a step in the right direction for the UK automotive sector however it is vital that more incentives are available to encourage the consumer to move to EVs. The electric vehicle targets remain in place and the fines still remain too high for manufacturers. The UK remains the most aggressive regime for the EV transition and we would want the UK Government to align with the rest of Europe, in order to make our market as competitive as possible in a rapidly changing global marketplace. “NFDA will continue to work with its members and the UK Government to ensure that the transition is a fair transition where consumers can afford new electric vehicles and manufacturers globally are confident in the UK automotive sector.”