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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Jasper Jolly

Electric shock: carmakers battle strict UK electric car rules as big fines loom

Electric car at a public charger
Sales of hybrids have risen and carmakers have not had the expected demand for fully electric cars. Photograph: Ceri Breeze/Alamy

When Ford announced this week that it was cutting 800 jobs in the UK, the US carmaker also had stern words for the government. It has joined in a chorus of criticism of rules that force car companies to sell more electric vehicles each year. The rules, known as the zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, are simply “unworkable”, Ford said.

Someone should have told Ford back in 2022, when the carmaker strongly backed the policy. In fact, it went further, calling for the British government to force carmakers to sell even more electric cars each year.

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