Carmakers are restricting sales of petrol and hybrid cars in the UK to avoid huge Net Zero fines, according to one of the country’s biggest dealership chains. Telegraph have story.
Robert Forrester, chief executive of Vertu Motors, said manufacturers had delayed deliveries until next year over concerns they would breach government quotas.
This means that if someone orders a car at some dealerships today, they won’t receive it until February, he said.
At the same time, Mr Forrester warned that manufacturers and dealers are struggling with a glut of more expensive electric vehicles (EVs) that “are not easily found”.
“In some franchises there is a restricting the supply of gasoline-powered vehicles and hybrid cars, this is really the type of car that is in high demand.
“It’s like we can’t deliver the cars that people want, but we have a lot of cars that maybe they don’t want.
“Surname [manufacturers] are trying to avoid being fined. So they are restricting our ability to supply petrol cars to try to meet the Government’s target.”
The CEO blamed the zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) ban, which requires at least 22% of cars sold by manufacturers to be electric from this year.
This target will increase each year. before reaching 80% by 2030Manufacturers will have to pay £15,000 for every petrol car that goes over the quota – unless they have so-called carbon credits to spend.
But the scheme has prompted stern warnings from bosses at major brands such as Stellantis, owner of Vauxhall and Ford, who say they cannot sacrifice profits by selling electric cars at huge discounts indefinitely.
Instead, they have previously warned that they may be forced to restrict the supply of gasoline-powered cars to increase efficiency to meet their ZEV mandate.
The warning from Vertu is the first confirmation that carmakers are now starting to do the same….
“What the Government is really doing is restricting the new car market, which has a huge impact on their VAT receipts and creating a business environment in the UK where manufacturers are One might wonder if they would want to manufacture cars here..
“Like Carlos Tavares [chief executive of Stellantis] Having said that, why should they sell cars at a loss because of UK Government policy?
“Unfortunately, the new car market is no longer a market. It is a state-imposed supply chain.”
