BACK TO ALL NEWS
Currently reading: Kia UK calls for softer ZEV targets as it marks 100,000 EV sales
UP NEXT
Prelude v Golf v Prius: Which £40k hybrid is frugal AND fun?

Kia UK calls for softer ZEV targets as it marks 100,000 EV sales

Boss Paul Philpott tells Autocar that fast-rising EV sales targets pose a "compliance threat" for industry

Charlie Martin Autocar
News
4 mins read
9 April 2026

The boss of Kia UK has called on the government to soften the sales targets set by the zero-emission vehicle mandate as the firm marks 100,000 electric car registrations.

Paul Philpott told Autocar that although “the principle of the ZEV mandate is sound”, it poses a challenge in the “pace of change expected”.

Join the debate

Comments
3
Add a comment…
jason_recliner 9 April 2026
Yep. You can't force people to buy what they don't want. Brings back memories of California in the 90s and the EV-1.
Andrew1 9 April 2026
No, but you can force them on public transport. If they don't like that either you can force them on bicycles or even on their feet. Driving is not a right, it's a privilege. Breaking clean air is a right, though.
jason_recliner 9 April 2026
Andrew1 wrote:

No, but you can force them on public transport. If they don't like that either you can force them on bicycles or even on their feet. Driving is not a right, it's a privilege. Breaking clean air is a right, though.

Sounds like communism - no thanks. You can take the bus, I'll drive when I want to. Do you have kids? I use public transport to commute when not WFH, lived for years without a car, but it would be a major pain in the arse not owning cars when you've got young kids - EVs aren't a viable solution for a lot of people. Modern petrol cars really don't pollute very much so there's no reason we can't continue to use them as we transiton to EVs and then, ultimately, hydrogen.