Another bad news story for EVs

[klondike]

Vauxhall owner threatens to close UK car factories

The car giant behind Vauxhall has threatened to mothball its UK factories amid a row over net zero targets for electric vehicle (EV) sales.

Stellantis warned on Tuesday that it would be forced to close plants at Ellesmere Port and Luton, where it makes vans, unless the Government relaxed rules forcing manufacturers to sell a certain proportion of EVs.

It has also threatened to reduce the number of petrol and diesel cars it sells in the UK.

The warning dramatically escalates a dispute with the Government over the so-called zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, which requires car makers to sell rising proportions of electric cars annually.

From this year, at least 22pc of cars they sell must be electric and the figure rises gradually to 80pc by 2030. In 2035 the sale of new petrol and diesel cars will then be banned.

However, Maria Grazia Davino, UK managing director for Stellantis, said the rules were out of step with consumer demand and risked making sales unprofitable.

Stellantis makes electric cars and vans at its Ellesmere Port plant and vans in Luton, employing more than 1,000 workers across both sites.

Speaking at a car industry conference in London, Ms Davino told journalists the mandate would have a big impact and "damage the UK".

'Hostile market'
Speaking at a car industry conference, she told journalists the mandate would have a big impact and "damages the UK".

Ms Davino added: "We have undertaken big investments in Ellesmere Port and in Luton, with more to come.

"But if this market becomes hostile to us, we will enter an evaluation for producing elsewhere."

Asked how long Stellantis would wait for a decision from the Government, she said: "Less than a year."

Full story: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/06/25/vauxhall-stellantis-threatens-stop-making-electric-vans-uk/

Considering Labour seem to be doubling down on Net Zero it seems that there is a rocky road ahead. Losing manufacturing is hardly the way to grow the economy which is how they say they are hoping to pay for all their good things to come. Well apart from driving non-doms overseas and increasing the demand for state school places as public school fees have VAT added,

[dextrous63]

Can't help but wonder if those who are Labour supporters, members, MPs, candidates etc seem to have forgotten what the word "Labour" means.

[JBR]

Vauxhall owner threatens to close UK car factories

The car giant behind Vauxhall has threatened to mothball its UK factories amid a row over net zero targets for electric vehicle (EV) sales.

Stellantis warned on Tuesday that it would be forced to close plants at Ellesmere Port and Luton, where it makes vans, unless the Government relaxed rules forcing manufacturers to sell a certain proportion of EVs.

It has also threatened to reduce the number of petrol and diesel cars it sells in the UK.

The warning dramatically escalates a dispute with the Government over the so-called zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, which requires car makers to sell rising proportions of electric cars annually.

From this year, at least 22pc of cars they sell must be electric and the figure rises gradually to 80pc by 2030. In 2035 the sale of new petrol and diesel cars will then be banned.

How stupid they are - the lot of them!

I imagine that there will soon be no British-made motor vehicles, and that everyone will buy from abroad, just as we have done when we recently bought a new Skoda Fabia who, incidentally, do not bother with EVs at all.

One good outcome: more people will eventually realise that any party who attempts to push 'nett zero' can say goodbye to Westminster.  It will also give Reform another leg up in four or five years.

[dextrous63]

On the plus side, theft of ev charging cables is on the rise.  They can be sold for their previous metals for around £200.  Easy money indeed for a tea leaf.

[ansu]

In former times Germany has been a so-called "car country", but that's yesterday's snow. I think the only chance to survive is to co-operate with other car manufacturers. Yesterday they told us on TV that VW will co-operate with an American start-up company that's sophisticated with regard to digital software or how you call it and needs money. So let's wait and see. 
As far as I can judge the co-operation of BMW, Rolls Royce and Mini isn't a disadvantage neither for BMW, nor for Mini and Rolls Royce.
What we often forget is that we are living in a global world where competition is quite hard and people are always looking for the cheapest product irrespective of where it has been produced. 

[klondike]

Most of the long established motor manufacturers have lost an absolute packet on EVs. They thought the days of overpriced government subsidised vehicles would continue along with the demand which was boosted by early adopters many thinking that EVs would be cheaper. There is no secondhand market for EVs and they have to be almost given away which means those high priced EVs produced by the "quality" traditional car makers are suffering horrendous depreciation. New ones are being heavily discounted just to get them off dealer forecourts with many selling at a loss. It's a mess that could see more than just the startups going bust.

[JBR]

Most of the long established motor manufacturers have lost an absolute packet on EVs. They thought the days of overpriced government subsidised vehicles would continue along with the demand which was boosted by early adopters many thinking that EVs would be cheaper. There is no secondhand market for EVs and they have to be almost given away which means those high priced EVs produced by the "quality" traditional car makers are suffering horrendous depreciation. New ones are being heavily discounted just to get them off dealer forecourts with many selling at a loss. It's a mess that could see more than just the startups going bust.

Exactly my opinion.
Just another government 'nett zero' bright idea which will never work and will, in the meantime, cost a lot more than anyone will make out of it.

Wait until Labour get in with their promises about banning ICE cars (I'm assuming that they haven't done a usual reverse gear since).

[Michael Rolls]

weell, like many folk I have always regarded 'net zero' (which isn't actually possible unless the books are rigged) as bloody stupid, and this sort of thing proves us right