“Three years ago the government announced the UK’s transition to electric new car and van sales from 2030. The auto industry is investing to meet that challenge. Ford has announced a global $50 billion commitment to electrification, launching 9 electric vehicles by 2025. The range is supported by £430 million invested in Ford’s UK development and manufacturing facilities, with further funding planned for the 2030 timeframe.
“This is the biggest industry transformation in over a century, and the UK 2030 target is a vital catalyst to accelerate Ford into a cleaner future. Our business needs 3 things from the UK government: ambition, commitment and consistency. A relaxation of 2030 would undermine all 3. We need the policy focus trained on bolstering the EV market in the short term and supporting consumers while headwinds are strong: infrastructure remains immature, tariffs loom and cost-of-living is high.
Just last week, BMW announced a £600 million government-backed investment to build electric MINIs at its Oxford and Swindon factories in the UK. The MINI brand is set to become purely electric from 2030 globally. “We and the whole automotive industry [need] clarity on the [EV] topic,” BMW said in a statement shared withStellantis reiterated its stance on achieving 100% zero emission new car and van sales in the UK by the end of the decade.
The impact of such mass endorsements ahead of the transition to EVs may have been underestimated by the prime minister, whose ruling Conservative Party has been trailing the Labor opposition in national polls.The prime minister’s about-face is little more than self-serving pulp ahead of what is sure to be an upcoming divisive election.