8:45 am, July 16, 2026
Ford has called for an ‘urgent review’ of the ZEV mandate, with bosses saying the policy has ‘drifted apart’ from the market.
Writing on LinkedIn, the Blue Oval’s UK managing director, Lisa Brankin, said the gap between the eco targets and the reality of the new car market is ‘getting wider’.
She added that the switch to fully electric vehicles still doesn’t make sense for a lot of customers and suggested that the firm’s current level of EV discounting is not sustainable.
In a lengthy post, Brankin wrote: ‘Ford is calling on the UK Government to urgently review the ZEV mandate.
‘Ford believes in a zero-emissions future. That isn’t in question. What is in question is whether the current policy path reflects how people actually buy and use vehicles today.
The Government has shown it will listen and act. The Electric Car Grant, one year old this week, is putting electric cars within the reach of more drivers. We very much welcome the demand-side support.
‘But incentives alone cannot close the gap. We have invested heavily and discounted hard, and government grants have helped — yet sustainable demand is still short of the targets for both commercial and passenger vehicles. The mandate and the market have drifted apart, and that gap is getting wider.
‘For many drivers the switch makes sense, and they are making it today. For others, the time isn’t right. This is particularly true for our commercial vehicle customers, whose van is the heart of their business, and the switch to full electric doesn’t make sense for some of them at the moment.
‘The EU has recalibrated its targets to match the market. It’s time the UK reviewed the ZEV mandate.’
The comments come after repeated calls from the SMMT for the mandate to be reviewed.
The trade body recently said the targets needed to be reformed, or else jobs, investment and UK car production could be at risk.
Car Dealer reported last month that Labour were planning on relaxing electric car targets after Kier Starmer overruled his Net Zero minister Ed Miliband and sided with business secretary Peter Kyle, who has been pushing for changes.
The proposals would see the requirement for 80% of new car sales to be fully electric by 2030 reduced to 50% but Starmer’s subsequent resignation as PM has raised questions about whether the changes will still go ahead.
For now, the ZEV mandate remains unchanged.
