Drivers must get tax breaks to buy EVs if manufacturers are to hit net zero targets, warns Ford’s UK boss
DRIVERS must get tax breaks to buy electric cars if manufacturers are to hit their strict net zero targets, Ford’s UK boss has warned.
Lisa Brankin said demand for electric vehicles (EVs) is too low for car makers to meet the Government’s tough rules, which require them to sell more each year.
Her call came after Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said he will review the rules amid an industry backlash.
Vauxhall’s parent company, Stellantis, revealed this week it is shutting its Luton factory, putting 1,100 jobs at risk, and Ford said last week it would cut 800 UK jobs by the end of 2027.
Ms Brankin told the BBC: “The one thing we really need from the Government is an incentive to urgently boost EV uptake.”
She added that if the Government isn’t willing to offer incentives, the only alternative is to scrap or delay the targets.
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Mr Reynolds yesterday defended Labour’s decision to reinstate the 2030 ban after the Tories delayed it to 2035, insisting the industry backs the “destination” of zero emissions.
But Ineos Automotive CEO Lynn Calder hit back, telling The Sun: “We’re definitely not behind the 2030 ban.
"There’s no plan to get there, no infrastructure and no idea where the energy or grid upgrades are going to come from. It’s not realistic.”
Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith said: “Labour’s 2030 ban is all talk and no substance.”