Most notably, Stellantis cited the ZEV mandate as a factor in its decision earlier this week to close its van factory in Luton, Bedfordshire, after CEO Carlos Tavares had branded the policy a “terrible thing for the UK” and warned that it could “kill” the domestic car industry.
Haigh’s departure from the transport secretary post comes just days after she and business secretary Jonathan Reynolds met with a number of car manufacturers – including BMW, Ford, Nissan, Stellantis, Tesla, Toyota and Volkswagen – to discuss ways of managing the electric vehicle transition in the UK.
Following the talks, the government said it stood by the planned 2030 phase-out date for new pure-combustion cars, and did not suggest the ZEV mandate framework would be altered.
Haigh doubled down on the government’s commitment to 2030, but acknowledged manufacturers’ concerns. She said: “There has been a downturn in demand on a global level, so we are absolutely in listening mode.
“We want to discuss how the current situation is affecting them, but we are not diluting our ambition. I am meeting with a number of automotive manufacturers later in the week in order to discuss the challenges that they face on a global scale.”
