Almost six in 10 used car dealers (57%) expect the 2026 Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) mandate target to be achieved, according to new research.
January’s Startline Used Car Tracker, which polled 60 dealers, also found that 44% think the Government will soon be forced to revise the targets, while 20% believe those set for the rest of the decade are unachievable.
Paul Burgess, chief executive of Startline Motor Finance, said final figures had yet to be published but the 2025 ZEV mandate car target appeared to have been missed by a small margin.
He said: “Against that backdrop, it’s perhaps a little surprising that so many dealers are feeling optimistic the 2026 target of 33% will be met.
“However, other indicators in our research have shown an improvement in sentiment among retailers toward electric cars in recent months and this finding is probably a reflection of that trend.
“Still, it’s clear the ZEV mandate is an area where dealer opinion is very much divided, with 44% believing the targets are unattainable in their present form and will need to be revised and relaxed.
“Notably, the Government has already said it will bring forward its date to re-examine these from 2027 to this year.”
Retailers want more Government support for EVs
The research also found a net 70% of dealers believe more Government support is needed for new electric car sales, rising to 74% for used EVs.
Burgess said: “The high level of support for used car market intervention revealed here is notable.
“There is an argument that the functioning of the used market is the weakest area of the whole electrification process at the moment.
“Dealers often report that while electric cars generally sell quickly, low values are persisting and even potentially worsening.”
The tracker also showed a net 44% of dealers believe plug-in hybrids are proving to be an important transitional technology, while 26% said it was significant that some manufacturers are reintroducing hybrid and petrol drivetrains.
Burgess said: “It has perhaps become clear in the last year or two that electrification will be more of a gradual and uneven process than was first envisaged.
“We’re seeing some manufacturers take a step back and once again offer older technologies, and it appears many dealers believe this is the right decision.”