Every football fan knows that the pre-game target before a ball is kicked is to win. But no manager would expect a team to lift the World Cup without the right squad, training, tactics, infrastructure and support behind them.
The UK’s zero emission vehicle transition is no different. The ZEV Mandate sets the target, but the workforce will determine whether the transition can be delivered safely, sustainably and at scale.
The automotive sector is committed to supporting the government’s ambitions of net zero. The direction of travel is clear, and the transition to zero emission vehicles is already well underway, but ambition alone does not guarantee delivery. Just as a successful football team needs depth, preparation and confidence across every position, the EV transition needs a workforce that is ready for the demands being placed upon it.
Strength in Every Position
That means ensuring there are enough skilled and qualified professionals across the sector, not only to manufacture and sell zero emission vehicles, but to service, repair, maintain, assess and recover them throughout their lifecycle. Without that capability, the transition risks becoming harder for businesses to manage and less reassuring for consumers to embrace.
Much of the debate around the ZEV Mandate has focused on vehicle affordability, charging infrastructure, consumer demand and manufacturer targets. These are all important. But they are not the full picture. Workforce readiness is a fundamental part of whether the policy can succeed in practice.
The pressure on employers is real. Businesses are being asked to invest in new equipment, new processes and new skills while also managing difficult trading conditions. Training and upskilling cannot be treated as an afterthought. They are core infrastructure for the EV transition.
Time for a Tactical Review
That is why the IMI believes the Government should urgently pull forward its review of the ZEV Mandate and explicitly include workforce readiness as a core measure of whether the current pathway is deliverable. Market demand, infrastructure and investment all matter, but so too does the capacity of the people expected to make the transition work in practice. This is not about slowing progress towards net zero or weakening the ambition behind the transition. It is about making sure policy expectations are matched by workforce capability, sector capacity and the practical support employers need to deliver safely and sustainably.
A review should look at skills capacity, training provision, standards, funding and the barriers that prevent employers from investing in their people. It should also recognise the safety and consumer confidence risks that arise if the workforce cannot keep pace with the speed of change.
World cup winning teams do not lower their ambition. They prepare properly, invest in infrastructure and talent to make sure every part of the squad is ready to perform.
The same principle applies here. The ZEV Mandate can set the direction, but it is the workforce that will deliver the result. If the UK wants a successful EV transition, it needs a match-fit automotive workforce.
Read the IMI’s full policy statement on the ZEV mandate.
