Car Manufacturers Threaten To Shut Uk Factories Over Impossible Net Zero Targets

[naomi24]

Such a move would put 2,500 jobs at risk.  

The current UK rules require 22 per cent of car-makers’ sales to be zero-emission this year, rising to 80 per cent in 2030.

Labour has brought forward a plan to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel motors from 2035 to 2030.

 

https://www.thesun.co.uk/motors/28745131/stellantis-threat-quit-uk-net-zero/

 

Our 'targets' appear to be self-destructive in more ways than one.  Is a re-think urgently required?

[Gromit]

Where would they go?  
France also plans to stop the manufacture of petrol and deisel cars by the 2030s, as does most of the rest of the world.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase-out_of_fossil_fuel_vehicles

[naomi24]

Gromit, 'I don't see 'most of the rest of the world' on the map you supplied.

[dave50]

It's awa ridiculous policy, if people don't want to buy electric cars, it's not the manufacturers fault.

[barry1010]

I think it is shocking, I never really got over the loss of our motorcycle industry.

The government should be doing more to protect our majority industries without chucking money at them. Common sense rules and regs would be a good start

[youngmafbog]

Ah wikipedia, no wonder you come out with such rubbish all the time.

Note on that map they have colourd the whole of the US to be 100% ban by 2030's when in effect (if you read the small print) its only 12 States.

[youngmafbog]

The whole thing is a joke, you cannot force someone who sells items to sell a certain % of one particular one or you will fine them.

Where will they go?  Easy, plenty of places or to be honest its probably best to shut up shop until the whole debacle has been sorted out and a proper plan that can bring all with it and not penilize the poorest in society.

Not that the right on liberals ro Labour (or TINO's) seem to care about the poor.

[10ClarionSt]

It's hardly a surprise that the company is threatening closure when nobody wants what you're selling. Electric cars are a complete waste of time and, as I've said before, they are just for precious show-boaters and posers.

[Gromit]

It is a ridiculous scare story by the Murdoch Sun.  
These manufacturers weren't leaving when it was the Conservatives' policy for years to cease production in 2030.  
No companies will leave over the policy, no UK jobs will be lost.They will transition to building vehicles that conform to the market they are selling them in.   

(I doubt the Labour target of 2030* is not realistic so will not be enforeable anyway).

* It wasn't realistic when Cameron set that date a decade ago.

[Gromit]

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-takes-historic-step-towards-net-zero-with-end-of-sale-of-new-petrol-and-diesel-cars-by-2030

[youngmafbog]

//These manufacturers weren't leaving when it was the Conservatives' policy for years to cease production in 2030.  //

No, and it was rediculous then.  The problem is we are now 6 years from it and EV technology is still a problem for mass market.  I suspect the site needs investment but with the only direction being given a noncense one they are choosing to bail rather than invest.

[Gromit]

Stellantis want the UK to join the single market again. They are threatening to leave the UK if we do not renegotiate Brexit.

https://www.lemonde.fr/en/economy/article/2023/05/19/stellantis-threatens-to-close-uk-factories-if-brexit-is-not-renegotiated_6027264_19.html

[New Judge]

"Stellantis want the UK to join the single market again. They are threatening to leave the UK if we do not renegotiate Brexit."

Stellantis can threaten what they like. But in simple terms the UK's car manufacturing industry is heading for the buffers. This is nothing to do with Brexit because many EU countries are about to suffer the same problems due to ridiculous "net zero" policies which the UK and the EU have adopted.

The plain fact is that demand for EVs is simply not evident. Fleet users receive government incentives for buying EVs. Private buyers do not. In two years' time one third of cars manufactured in the UK must be electric. Manufacturers face fines of £15k per IC vehicle sold if they do not meet the target. Are tthey going to pay that? Of course not. Are sales of EVs likely to double in the next two years? Equally unlikely. Fleet users have mainly converted to EVs now and for private buyers an EV is either too expensive, impractical (in terms of charging) or both. Stellantis threatening to up sticks to the EU will do them no good whatsoever because the situation is similar there.

What we are witnessing here is the demise of a major manufacuring sector in this country. This will occur whoever enters No.10 next week because neither of the parties likely to form a government has any intention of changing tack.

This is the beginning of he "poorer and colder" scenario that awaits those who will have the ludicrous "Net Zero" visited upon them.

The winners in this? Why the Chinese, of course. They have no concerns about global emissions. They burn more than half the world's coal and that proportion is going to increase. 

I don't know why Stellantis are all that concerned. They plan to import and sell cheap Chinese EVs in order to meet their quota:

https://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/1047618/vauxhall-owner-to-sell-chinese-budget-evs-in-uk-1047618.html#:~:text=In%20a%20joint%20venture%2C%20Stellantis,and%20to%20Europe%20in%20September.

"Stellantis plans to bring over Leapmotor’s TO3, a small Fiat-500-style EV with a range of 165 miles per charge, and the five-seater C10 SUV .

In China, the compact models typically sell for around £5,500, but Stellantis and experts believe the car could be sold for between £17,200 and £22,000 in the UK."

Far simpler to import cheap Chinese rubbish and flog it on for £12k - £17k profit a pop than mess about making the things here whilst having to comply with ridiculous ideological dogma.

All Europe is doing in chasing Net Zero is exporting its emissions offshore to regimes which couldn't give a toss about the environment, so long as they make a few bob. 

[Old_Geezer]

A rethink to throw that daft idea out was needed to moment it was agreed to. The sooner the protests and rioting starts the sooner it c0an be amended.

[ToraToraTora]

don't blame them, all the net zero rowlocks is, well rowlocks.

[William51]

It is not a joke but serious. This rush to net zero will almost bankrupt us while India and China will out us on everything because they are going hell for leather with fossil fuel manufacturing.