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EV industry dismissive of Brexit risk to UK EV supply

A report that claims Britain’s supply of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles could dry up after Brexit has been dismissed by EV charging specialist Chargemaster.

 

Chargemaster has dismissed suggestions that supplies of zero and low-emission cars to the UK could reduce

Chargemaster has dismissed suggestions that supplies of zero and low-emission cars to the UK could reduce

The report, published by environmental campaign group Transport & Environment (T&E), claims that carmakers will lose a strong incentive to sell low-emission vehicles in the UK following the UK’s departure from the EU.

The UK was the third largest market for zero emission vehicles in the EU last year, and the largest for plug-in hybrids. But as British sales of these cars will no longer count towards carmakers’ EU CO2 targets after Brexit, they may choose not to sell them in the UK at all, the report suggests.

In response, Tom Callow, director of communication & strategy at Chargemaster, said: “The UK is one of the leading markets for electric vehicles, not just in Europe, but globally. The UK automotive ecosystem is geared towards supporting plug-in cars and we see no sign of that changing after Brexit.

“It is clear that the Government’s forthcoming Road to Zero strategy will focus on an objective of zero emissions, which in the mass market, can only be achieved with electric vehicles. We regularly speak to car manufacturers and have not heard any suggestion of a shift of focus for the UK market. Consumer demand remains incredibly strong for plug-in cars, and we don’t see that changing.”

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Natalie Middleton

Natalie has worked as a fleet journalist for over 20 years, previously as assistant editor on the former Company Car magazine before joining Fleet World in 2006. Prior to this, she worked on a range of B2B titles, including Insurance Age and Insurance Day.