The majority of retailers are in favour of the government delay to ban the sale of ICE vehicles by five years to 2035.
That’s a key finding of Auto Trader research which also found that consumer demand for electric vehicles (EVs) on its marketplace has remained unaffected by the government’s delay to the ban on new petrol and diesel cars.
However, highlighting the uncertainty caused by the announcement, many retailers and consumers are now planning to delay their switch to electric in response, despite the strict Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate remaining in place.
According to Auto Trader more than a third (37%) of consumers said they’re unlikely to ever buy an EV, up from 21% just two years ago, whilst one in five (20%) independent retailers stated the extension has made them less likely to stock EVs.
Retailers are mostly in favour of pushing back the deadline with three quarters (75%) agreeing with the delay.
Ian Plummer, commercial director of Auto Trader, said: “In-market electric car buyers haven’t been perturbed by headline policy changes and that’s not surprising considering offers are available on three quarters of new electric vehicles and that average prices of pre-loved electric cars are down almost a quarter on last year.
“We know that price is the biggest barrier for most car buyers and our data shows that when the price is right, many people are more than happy to get behind the wheel of an electric car.
“With the ZEV mandate still firmly in place, the UK’s timetable to electrification remains unchanged, but the delay only serves to add confusion and uncertainty to what is already an industry-wide challenge.
“More electric vehicles will be entering both the new and used retail market in the coming years. With fuel prices on the rise and infrastructure set to improve, it does feel like only a matter of time before the doubters begin to reconsider. Regardless of what the politicians say, preparing to electrify your business isn’t something you can put off – start now.”