ICE cars will be ‘harder to buy’ because of ZEV mandate

More than eight out of 10 people (84%) think used ICE cars will become harder to buy because of the 2030 production ban, according to Startline’s October Used Car Tracker which surveyed 300 consumers and 62 dealers.

73% expect used ICE to become more expensive and 66% say they’ll hang onto their existing ICE car for longer. 64% are more likely to buy an EV in response to the deadline and 58% believe used EVs will become cheaper than ICE. 48% will stick with petrol or diesel up until 2030.

Paul Burgess, CEO at Startline Motor Finance, said: “The petrol and diesel car production deadline has been something of a political football. Boris Johnson introduced it for 2030, Rishi Sunak pushed it out to 2035 and Keir Starmer is set to bring it back to 2030 again.

“While it is grabbing headlines, the fact is that it is something of a symbolic measure.

“The legislation that is really affecting the types of cars that can be bought is the Zero Emissions Vehicle Mandate, which rapidly ramps up the percentage of electric cars that must be sold toward the end of the decade and is already having an impact on new car sales.

“Against this backdrop, the motorists we have surveyed this month are probably right in their assumptions. The supply of petrol and diesel cars into the used market is going to start falling quite quickly and this could lead to a situation where demand drives up prices.”

Burgess urges the government to ensure motorists have access to low-cost, convenient charging.