Ford UK boss reveals shocking truth about electric car sales targets
Car manufacturers face tough government-set electric vehicle targets while customer interest stays low. Ford UK suggests tax-break solution as industry struggles with strict zero-emission rules
Lisa Brankin‚ Ford UKs chairman and managing-director points to a big-time problem with electric cars: nobody wants to buy them like the government thinks they should
The real issue that weʼre facing is that customer demand isnt at the same level as the government mandate
The government wants car-makers to sell lots of electric vehicles (EVs) this year - about 22% of all sales but the numbers dont add up. By 2030 they want this number to be way-up at 80%
Ford has put serious cash into this electric-car thing:
- $2bn for their Cologne setup
- £350m+ in UK electric stuff
- Extra money for new tech-development
The Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds says theyll look at the rules again‚ which is good news for car-makers whoʼve been super-worried about their future. Its interesting that company-car drivers (who get tax breaks) are switching to EVs much faster than everyone else - thats what Brankin thinks should happen for all drivers
Meanwhile Vauxhall (whos been around since like forever) might close its Luton place‚ putting lots of jobs at risk. They say its because of these tough electric-car rules. The whole thing is extra-hard in Britain and Europe: costs are up competition is fierce and the rules are super-strict - making everyone feel the squeeze
Brankin says they need help fast: if the government doesnt give people reasons to buy EVs‚ all that money they spent might not pay off
