ELLESMERE Port MP Justin Madders sat down with representatives at M53 Ford to discuss issues facing automotive businesses and motorists.

Mr Madders, who is Shadow Minister for Business, Employment Rights and Levelling Up visited the Ellesmere Port dealership after contact with the National Franchised Dealer Association (NFDA).

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. The association said that in their 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. Mr Madders was informed that addressing regional disparities is essential for enhancing the accessibility of charging infrastructure to all drivers.

Cheshire West and Chester Council recently secured more than £2m in funding from the Office of Zero Emission Vehicles’ (OZEV) Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure pot to support an initial installation project which will see 600 charging stations built at car parks and on-street locations across the borough.

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.

NFDA also mentioned the need to introduce price incentives, particularly in respect of electric vehicles. 

Sue Robinson, NFDA Chief Executive, said: “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.”