Swansway director Peter Smyth has criticised the UK’s Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) mandate, warning that it’s forcing dealers to push EVs ahead of customer demand.
The ZEV mandate requires an increasing percentage of manufacturers’ recent automotive and van sales to be zero-emission annually, with potential fines for non-compliance.
Speaking in an interview with The Telegraph, Smyth said the transition to electric vehicles represents the most important shift he has seen within the industry.
Smyth said dealerships are under increasing pressure from manufacturers to sell EVs, with training and incentives geared toward driving uptake, but argued retail demand isn’t keeping pace.
He also raised concerns about infrastructure readiness and public acceptance, suggesting each remain barriers to faster adoption.
The UK’s ZEV Mandate increases again in 2026, however the retail reality on the bottom still looks like a tense tug of war between policy ambition and customer hesitation.
In keeping with AM’s latest in depth feature on the subject, dealers have spoken about the buying cycle slowing the moment impending tax changes and future charging models enter the conversation, making it ever harder to elucidate the financial advantages of EV transition.
Even where demand exists, conversion is fragile. Some retailers say they will lose EV-curious prospects fast.
The broader 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’s making a situation where automotive manufacturers are pushing the EV market and dealerships are having to sell EVs to some customers that just do not feel ready for them yet.
The ZEV mandate for this yr requires 33% of recent automotive registrations, nearly one in three of each recent automotive, to be an EV.
Smyth’s comments reflect ongoing concern amongst some dealers in regards to the pace of the transition and the operational pressure created by ZEV targets as EV supply increases ahead of retail demand.
This Article First Appeared At www.am-online.com
