EV charging pioneer Virta today called on the new Transport Secretary to maintain the government’s drive for transition away from petrol and diesel vehicles.
Heidi Alexander has been appointed as the new Transport Secretary following the resignation of Louise Haigh last week.
Ms Alexander takes up her post in the wake of a government pledge to undertake a fast-track consultation on the UK’s EV mandate, which underpins its pledge to end the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles in 2030.
Under current rules, 22% of a company’s car sales and 10% of its van sales must qualify as zero emission. For every car sale outside of that, firms must pay a £15,000 fine.
That target is set to rise to 28% for cars and 16% for vans in 2025. The rules will then get tougher every year ahead of a complete ban of new petrol and diesel car sales.
Virta, which operates in the UK and across 35 countries with more than 500,000 charging points, was this week announced as one of the newest members of ChargeUK, the voice of the UK’s EV charging infrastructure industry.
Stuart Tolley, GEO Director of Virta, said: “The next few weeks will be crucial for the EV sector, with the fast-track consultation around the UK’s EV mandate.
“The EV sector needs a strong and stable mandate – and that includes the charging sector, which needs clear messaging and direction of travel in order to continue to invest in the infrastructure that is crucial to the UK’s net zero ambitions.
“The previous Transport Secretary stated that the charging sector was vital to the transition to EVs, while acknowledging the great strides that have been made in this area in the last 18 months.
“We very much hope the new Secretary of State will take this on board. EV transition needs investment in infrastructure such as community charging, convenience charging, and fleet depots.
“To achieve the ideal of eMobility, it must be made easy, cost effective and accessible for all.”
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