The National Franchised Dealer Association (NFDA) helped to facilitate the visit of Justin Madders MP to M53 Ford at their Ellesmere Port dealership in Justin Madders’ constituency.
Over the past few years, NFDA has helped to organise similar meetings in which a number of Parliamentarians have met with franchised retailers in their constituencies.
Justin Madders’ visit to M53 Ford comes at a crucial time for the industry as we build up to a general election. The MP was given a hospitable welcome and shown around the dealership by Tom McPhail and Phil Vaill, Managing Directors of M53 Ford.
The meeting between the MP, M53 Ford and NFDA representatives saw discussions focusing on a range of issues facing automotive businesses and motorists.
Charging Infrastructure
NFDA highlighted that one of the key issues that needs looking at to encourage a successful transition towards the decarbonisation of transport is charging infrastructure.
Lack of charging facilities has been commonly cited as a key reason as to why consumers are not interested in purchasing an electric vehicle. In NFDA’s recent Consumer Attitude Survey, 57% of 817 UK driving licence holders who responded that they were not interested in purchasing an electric vehicle stated lack of charging facilities as a reason.*
Currently, the UK has a patchwork system of charging infrastructure with some regions lagging far behind others. It was noted to Justin that addressing regional disparities is essential for enhancing the accessibility of charging infrastructure to all drivers.
ZEV Mandate
Discussions also centred on the introduction of the ZEV mandate earlier this year, which stipulates that in 2024, 22% of new cars sold by qualifying OEMs must be zero emissions or face penalties. Likewise, 10% of new vans sold this year must also be zero emissions.
Price Incentives
NFDA also mentioned the need to introduce price incentives, particularly in respect of electric vehicles. Noticeably, fleet has been driving demand in recent months with little appetite from private buyers. The introduction of price incentives would help to stimulate demand from private consumers.
Sue Robinson, NFDA Chief Executive, commented: “Justin Madders MP’s visit provided an ideal opportunity to discuss a number of issues affecting our industry. These included assessing the current patchwork system of charging infrastructure in the UK, the ZEV mandate and the need to introduce price incentives to private consumers.
“NFDA thanks Justin Madders MP for visiting M53 Ford and we look forward to further engagement with Parliamentarians over the course of this year, particularly with a general election on the horizon.”
Justin Madders MP and Phil Vaill, Managing Director of M53 Ford at M53 Ford dealership in Ellesmere Port (2024)
