Ford could restrict the sale of new petrol and diesel models as it aims to meet strict electric vehicle targets before the end of the decade.
The Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate is a Government policy which requires manufacturers to have at least 28 per cent of car sales come from electric vehicles by the end of this year.
The targets will increase gradually until 2030, when 80 per cent of new cars will need to be electric, as well as 70 per cent of vans.
Modelling from the Government projects that 100 per cent of all new cars will be electric just before 2035. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has already confirmed that no new petrol or diesel cars will be sold after 2030.
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Ford said it could be forced to restrict sales of petrol and diesel vehicles
FORD
Lisa Bradkin, CEO of Ford UK, told Auto Express that limiting the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles “remains an option”, although added that it wasn’t a decision they “really want to take”.
This echoes comments made by Martin Sander, the European boss of Ford, who said he would “take shipments of ICE vehicles to the UK down, and sell these vehicles somewhere else”.
Ford currently offers five electric vehicles on the market, including the Puma Gen-E, Capri, Explorer, Mustang Mach-E, as well as the Tourneo Custom van.
Any market movement by Ford could see the prices of its models increase, potentially impacting the cost of its cheapest model, the £26,350 mild hybrid Ford Puma.
So far this year, Ford has sold 11,069 cars in the UK, representing just under five per cent of the total market share, according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
However, this is a significant drop compared to the same time last year, when the brand sold more than 15,500 vehicles, with sales falling by 28 per cent since 2024.
Last year, the Ford Puma was the UK’s best-selling vehicle with 48,340 new registrations, although its ranking has dropped to the ninth best-selling model so far this year.
Bradkin added: “We’ve had really good engagement with the Government and I think that they understand. The concern is that [the review] is taking a really long time.
“We don’t know when we’re going to get a response and we don’t know what the decision is going to be, and so there’s a massive level of uncertainty.”
It comes as Whitehall sources claim that Labour could be looking to water down the ZEV mandate to allow the continued sale of hybrid vehicles after the end of the decade.
According to the sources, manufacturers and automotive groups have warned the Government that investment in the UK could be impacted without an allowance for hybrid vehicles.
The proposed move has been met with strong criticism from experts, who accuse the Government of “surrendering” to manufacturers, even if it’s not in the interest of the Government’s net zero aims.
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The Ford Puma was the best-selling new car in the UK last year
FORD
Quentin Willson, founder of FairCharge and EVUK advisory board member, described hybrids as being “old” and said the move was a “huge step backwards”.
A spokesperson for the Department for Transport said it had been working closely with automotive manufacturers following the landmark consultation, which launched on Christmas Eve.
The DfT will “carefully consider the feedback” before it responds and outlines the future of the ZEV mandate, which many in the industry hope will be soon.
