LONDON -- Ford and Toyota could face some of the highest fines in the U.K. next year under new rules enforcing minimum electric-vehicle sales, according to market analysts Dataforce.
Next year sees the start of the ZEV [zero emission vehicle] mandate in the U.K. under which sales of electric or fuel cell vehicles must reach 22 percent of registrations in the first year or automakers will face fines of 15,000 pounds ($15,829) per car or 9,000 pounds per van.
The targets get tougher annually, rising to 28 percent in 2025, 80 percent in 2030 and 100 percent in 2035.
Fines would reach 2.4 billion pounds ($2.91 billion) based on the 18 percent EV share in the U.K. in the 12 months to the end of September, Dataforce says.
Ford with just a 2 percent EV share and Toyota at one percent share over the 12-month period would pay the biggest fines if they do not drastically improve their EV sales given their market size, Dataforce calculated.
Other automakers in trouble include Suzuki and Land Rover at zero EV sales in the 12-month period, while Mazda only managed 3 percent.
Those with work to do also include Nissan, Fiat and Citroen, which were all at 12 percent, Skoda at 13 percent, and Vauxhall, Peugeot and Mini at 15 percent.