Government shift on 2030: IMI Comment

By perpetuating a multi-technology vehicle parc for longer government support will be needed to ensure the workforce continues to be properly skilled

Steve Nash, CEO of the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) responds to the government’s shift of the 2030 ban on the sale of new ICE vehicles to 2035:

“The announcement by Rishi Sunak, whilst not surprising, significantly under-estimates the hard work and commitment those in the automotive sector have already shown to meet the 2030 target. There’s now a serious risk that businesses and individuals will take their foot off the pedal and the great success the IMI has had in engaging the industry to commit to investment in EV skills will lose momentum.

“The deadline shift also demonstrates a distinct lack of understanding of the pressures a multi-technology vehicle parc places on the automotive workforce.

“The upskilling that has already taken place has come at a financial strain which businesses and individuals have justified because of the expected increased EV adoption. Even if EV uptake slows over the next few years, there will still need to be a concerted focus on upskilling to meet the needs of the growing parc as well as other emerging technologies such as connected and autonomous. However, with the ICE vehicle parc not diminishing as had been previously expected, the skills to work on petrol and diesel vehicles will also need to be maintained. And this multi-technology pressure could undermine access to competent and fairly priced aftermarket services as a whole, not only threatening road safety in general but hitting those struggling with cost of living pressures hardest – the very group the government’s announcement is allegedly designed to help.

“It is absolutely crucial that the shift to 2035 is NOT seen as a ‘free pass’ to delay investment in infrastructure and training. Therefore, having made this change, the government must now understand the multiple challenges the sector faces and provide the right support to ensure the UK economy and wider society can continue to rely on the automotive sector.

“We look forward to working with government to inform and understand how this can be achieved.”