--- title: "Government urged to accelerate review of ‘disruptive’ EV sales targets" type: "News" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/286212717.md" description: "A leading car dealership, Vertu Motors, has urged the UK government to expedite its review of the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) sales targets, claiming they disrupt the car sales market and negatively impact profits. The dealership reported an 18% drop in pre-tax profit, attributing part of this decline to the ZEV scheme, which imposes fines on manufacturers for not meeting electric vehicle sales targets. Vertu Motors expressed concerns over the scheme's effects on vehicle volumes and margins, particularly in the Light Commercial Vehicle market, and called for an earlier review than the planned 2027 date." datetime: "2026-05-13T07:07:24.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/286212717.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286212717.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/286212717.md) generator: "portal-rs" --- # Government urged to accelerate review of ‘disruptive’ EV sales targets Wednesday 13 May 2026 8:01 am Add as a preferred source on Google The electric vehicle sales targets creates "intense pressure" on sellers A leading London-listed car dealership has called on the government to speed up its review of electric vehicle sales targets, which it said “disrupts” the car sales market. AIM-listed Vertu Motors has said the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate scheme is hitting its profits and “distorting” its volumes and margins. The scheme was brought in to force carmakers to sell more electric vehicles each year or face steep fines, as part of the government’s plans to shift all new car sales to EVs by 2035. The car dealership called on the government to fast-track its planned consultation on the scheme, which is not set to be published until next year. Vertu Motors saw pre-tax profit fall by 18 per cent in the year to February 2026, to £20m, and attributed this slump in part to the ZEV scheme and its “related margin pressure”. ## EV rules ‘create intense pressure’ The dealership said: “The ZEV mandate is distorting volumes, margins and channel mix for new car and commercial vehicles, alongside elevated discounting and potential non‑BEV supply constraints. “The ratcheting of targets creates more intense pressure and the group has asked the government to urgently bring forward its review of the ZEV mandate from 2027 to 2026.” Vertu Motors said the government’s EV targets are “very aspirational” and pose particular risk to the Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) market, which includes small goods vehicles like vans. Carmakers which miss the target for EV van sales face a £15,000 fine per van, while a £12,000 charge is set to be levied per car. “The ZEV mandate looks certain to continue to disrupt the LCV market significantly in the coming periods as manufacturers seek to avoid fines,” the dealership said. ## Review of mandate a year away In December, the government sped up its review of the ZEV mandate slightly – bringing forward the start of the consultation to this year – but said it is still not due to report until 2027. A government spokesperson said at the time: “We have not brought forward the ZEV Mandate review. As previously committed, we will publish the review in early 2027 which means preparatory work will begin next year so stakeholders can be properly engaged. “Zero-emission vehicles are good for family finances and good for the environment – saving typical drivers as much as £1,500 a year on fuel and the transition to EVs is crucial to delivering jobs and growth, improved air quality, energy security, as well as quieter cleaner towns and cities.” Vertu Motors said it also took a profit hit from the impacts of the cyber-attack at Jaguar Land Rover. The car dealership was handed a £3.4m insurance payout earlier this year to account for the disruption caused to its vehicle supply, but said on Wednesday the total losses from the cyber-attack stood at £3.9m. ### Related Stocks - [VTU.UK](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/VTU.UK.md) ## Related News & Research - [Vertu invests more than GBP 400,000 to open first Alpine dealership in Nottingham](https://longbridge.com/en/news/296237442.md) - [Vertu Motors names Jonathan Speak general manager of Renault Gloucester dealership](https://longbridge.com/en/news/296081859.md) - [Global EV sales rise 9% as North America plunges 27% after federal incentives end](https://longbridge.com/en/news/296047069.md) - [Hyundai U.S. EV Owners to Receive Automatic 10% Discount at All IONNA Fast‑Charging Stations via App and Plug & Charge](https://longbridge.com/en/news/296523703.md) - [ELEKTROS Positions Lithium and Advanced EV Charging at the Heart of a Powerful New Innovation Era | ELEK Stock News](https://longbridge.com/en/news/295823878.md) --- > **Disclaimer: This article is for reference only and does not constitute any investment advice.**