Swansway director Peter Smyth has criticised the UK’s Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) mandate, warning that it is forcing dealers to push EVs ahead of customer demand.
The ZEV mandate requires an increasing percentage of manufacturers’ new car and van sales to be zero-emission each year, with potential fines for non-compliance.
Speaking in an interview with The Telegraph, Smyth said the transition to electric vehicles represents the biggest shift he has seen in the industry.
Smyth said dealerships are under increasing pressure from manufacturers to sell EVs, with training and incentives aimed at driving uptake, but argued retail demand is not keeping pace.
He also raised concerns about infrastructure readiness and public acceptance, suggesting both remain barriers to faster adoption.
The UK’s ZEV Mandate increases again in 2026, but the retail reality on the ground still looks like a tense tug of war between policy ambition and customer hesitation.
According to AM’s latest in depth feature on the topic, dealers have spoken about the buying cycle slowing the moment impending tax changes and future charging models enter the conversation, making it ever more difficult to explain the financial benefits of EV transition.
Even where demand exists, conversion is fragile. Some retailers say they can lose EV-curious prospects fast.
The wider automotive industry has already called for an urgent review into the ZEV mandate.
Smyth described the aim of the ZEV mandate as “noble”, but said it is creating a situation where car manufacturers are pushing the EV market and dealerships are having to sell EVs to some customers that just don’t feel ready for them yet.
The ZEV mandate for this year requires 33% of new car registrations, nearly one in three of every new car, to be an EV.
Smyth’s comments reflect ongoing concern among some dealers about the pace of the transition and the operational pressure created by ZEV targets as EV supply increases ahead of retail demand.