12:46 pm, March 19, 2026
The government needs to do more to help car manufacturers continue the journey to electrification – and could show more understanding around the issue, according to Peugeot UK boss, Nicola Dobson.
Speaking at Car Dealer Live today (Mar 19), Dobson said the move away from petrol and diesel was clearly one of the main issues facing the automotive industry at the moment.
Asked for her thoughts about the government’s planned ‘pay per mile’ EV duty, she said: ‘It is potentially the wrong measure. At this point in time, we want more people to transition to electric vehicles and we need to ensure that incentives are there, rather than put potential barriers in place.’
Dobson, who has been in her current role for 14 months, added: ‘We work very closely with the government and we try to ensure that we’re collaborative with the government as well.
‘The direction of travel towards electrification is correct, but the speed of that move is challenging because the touchpoints that we have, and the targets that are there, are ahead of where we are in terms of natural demand.’
Turning to the influx of Chinese carmakers into the UK, interviewer James Batchelor, associate editor of Car Dealer, again raised the question of more government support – this time for brands who manufacture cars in the UK.
Dobson said: ‘We are always going to have new competition coming into the market and competition is great, right? It’s good for consumers. It gives consumers choice.
‘It makes everybody review the way that they are going to market, their day-to-day activities.
‘I think the government’s done a lot in terms of electric car grants. We are in a fortunate position at Peugeot because many of our vehicles qualify for the £1,500 midpoint government grant. So there are things that are being done to assist to the transition to electric, definitely.
‘Peugeot is a brand with a long history and a broad range of great products, but we are also a brand that looks forward and we’ve got some great things coming down the line, particularly with technology.
‘What’s great to see with Peugeot is that we’re very forward-thinking. Regardless of who is coming into the market, it’s competition, which is good for the consumer.
‘It’s always good for us to review what we’re doing, but ultimately, we have a plan.
‘We know the direction of travel for us, and that’s what we need to focus on because we have lots of exciting things coming.’
