Stellantis hits EV sales targets

Stellantis, which plans to close its Vauxhall van-making factory in Luton, said it met the Government’s electric vehicle sales requirements for 2024.

The company said it achieved the zero emission vehicle (Zev) mandate “through sales” last year.

When Stellantis announced the closure of its Luton factory in November, putting 1,100 jobs at risk, it said the decision was made within the context of the “stringent” Zev mandate.

Under the mandate, at least 22% of new cars and 10% of new vans sold by each manufacturer in the UK in 2024 must have been zero-emission, which generally means pure electric.

Stellantis said it met the requirements with “strong sales of the group’s extensive line-up of electric vehicles, with 30 electric cars and vans on sale in the UK across 11 brands”.

It added that it sold 39,492 electric cars in the UK in 2024.

This represented a 59% increase on 2023 and resulted in a 10% share of the new electric car market.

The mandate percentages rise each year, such as to 28% of new cars and 16% of new vans this year, rising to 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans in 2030.

Failure to abide by the mandate or make use of flexibilities – such as buying credits from rival companies or making more sales in future years – will result in a requirement to pay the Government £15,000 per polluting car sold above the limits.

The Government is consulting on changes to the rules, which could include making it easier for non-compliant manufacturers to avoid fines.

Eurig Druce, group managing director of Stellantis UK, said: “2024 saw more people than ever purchase an EV and I’d like to thank our customers who have decided to switch to electric with one of our brands and also to our incredible UK retailer network for making it happen.”

He went on: “Despite offering a very comprehensive line-up of popular electric cars and vans, and a strong will and focus on making our EVs as attainable as possible, the steep trajectories of the Zev mandate are out of step from current demand.

“Put simply, if the UK is to achieve its transport emission ambitions, and for EVs to represent 80% of new cars sold in 2030, then consumers are going to need more encouragement from Government to do so.”

EV lobbyists said Stellantis’s sales performance demonstrates that the Zev mandate is working.

Colin Walker, head of transport at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said: “Suggestions that the car industry was struggling, and that the Zev mandate target was too onerous, have proven to be wrong, and were often based on a misunderstanding of how the policy actually works.

“By encouraging greater competition between manufacturers as they seek to hit their targets, the mandate is driving prices down.”

Quentin Willson, founder of FairCharge and advisory board member of EVUK, said: “The fact that Stellantis has hit their Zev mandate for 2024 shows what we’ve always said – the mandate is achievable.

“And it’s exactly because of those targets – so often derided by the car industry – that the UK is now the number one EV market in Europe.”

Ben Nelmes, chief executive of New AutoMotive, said: “It is fantastic to see Stellantis – a true heavyweight of UK automotive manufacturing – meeting its electric vehicle targets.

“The lessons for ministers are clear: the UK’s targets are working, consumer demand is there, manufacturers are delivering, and the UK is poised to benefit from greener, cheaper transport.”

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “The UK is now the largest EV market in Europe and, thanks to the flexibilities of the Zev Mandate, we are confident that the whole industry will meet targets and that no car manufacturer will need to pay fines.

“We’re investing over £2.3 billion to make the transition to zero-emissions vehicles a success, unlocking a multi-billion-pound industry and creating high-quality jobs that will drive growth for decades to come.”