Drivers are less willing to swap to electric vehicles because politicians and policy makers keep shifting the goalposts, a new study claims.
The European Commission’s plans to water down their 2035 zero-emissions target and recent calls from politicians to scrap the UK’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate has ‘created a climate of confusion and hesitation among consumers and manufacturers alike’, the latest AA UK EV Readiness Index reveals.
While the AA’s Readiness score has grown modestly, it remains under halfway at 48.8 out of 100.
This represents a very slight 1.5 point increase in EV appetite up from last quarter.
Tha AA’s latest EV Readiness report has found that drivers are less willing to swap to electric vehicles because politicians and policy makers keep shifting the goalposts
As such the AA says ‘the foundations of drivers’ readiness to adopt an EV remain fragile’.
The AA points to additional uncertainties such as the proposed e-VED scheme – which would see electric car owners paying a new pay-per-mile tax from April 2028 – and increasing used EV prices as reasons behind drivers being unwilling to switch to electric.
Edmund King, AA president said: ‘Whilst the Index shows some progress, the conditions that support drivers’ shift to EVs remain challenging for many.
‘Drivers are being buffeted by mixed messages and policy reversals. Talk of the ZEV mandate being scrapped or delayed, and the introduction of new taxes on EVs, risks undermining years of progress.
‘Those already on the fence may now be stepping back to the familiar territory of petrol or diesel, rather than embracing the switch to electric.
‘The drop in EV insurance pricing at a slightly faster rate than for ICE insurance is great news for consumers, but there are wider concerns about used car pricing, where most private sales occur.’
Last week the Conservatives said they would scrap the ban on petrol and diesel vehicles put in place by Labour if they win the next election
Last week the Conservatives said they would scrap the ban on petrol and diesel vehicles put in place by Labour if they win the next election.
Leader Kemi Badenoch committed the next Conservative Government to completely abolish the ZEV mandate, ending the legal requirements on manufacturers to sell a fixed and rising percentage of electric vehicles each year.
The move would remove a rigid regulatory burden on car manufacturers that has meant their investment decision are dictated by Government policy rather than consumer demand.
Badenoch wrote in the Sunday Telegraph that the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate (ZEV) was a ‘well-meaning but ultimately destructive piece of legislation’.
The announcement follows calls by six EU countries, including Germany and Italy, on other member states to reconsider plans to phase out new petrol and diesel cars by 2035, arguing that a rigid ban would harm industrial policy and lead to Europe falling behind competitors, especially China.
In response, on 16 December the EU backed away from its push to end petrol and diesel car sales by 2035, opting for more relaxed CO2 emissions-based targets instead of an electric-only mandate.
In a major climbdown, the European Commission confirmed car makers will no longer be forced to sell only zero-emissions vehicles, allowing some combustion-engine models to remain on sale beyond the deadline.
16 December the EU backed away from its push to end petrol and diesel car sales by 2035, opting for more relaxed CO2 emissions-based targets instead of an electric-only mandate
Manufacturers will instead be required to cut car exhaust emissions by 90 per cent – not 100 per cent – compared to 2021 levels in a shift designed to ease pressure on an industry struggling with weak EV demand and rising competition from China.
The move added fresh pressure on the UK Government to reconsider its deadline to outlaw the sales of new petrol and diesel cars, which Labour accelerated to 2030 earlier this year.
King, AA president commented: ‘If the UK is serious about accelerating EV adoption, 2026 must bring stronger, clearer guidance and meaningful incentives.
‘Only then will we see real momentum and confidence among drivers to make the change.’
