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The ZEV Mandate Is About Cars. It Should Also Be About Hiring.

18-02-2026
Industry news

The UK’s Zero Emission Vehicle mandate became law in January 2024. Manufacturers now have to increase the percentage of zero emission vehicles they sell each year. It began at 22 percent in 2024 and will continue rising steadily towards 100 percent by 2035.

There has been plenty of noise around whether the targets are too ambitious, whether infrastructure is keeping up and whether customers are fully on board. That debate is unlikely to disappear any time soon.

Whatever your view, the product mix in the UK motor trade is shifting.

SMMT registration data shows battery electric vehicles steadily increasing their share of new car registrations. It has not been a perfect straight line, but the overall trend is clear.

At the same time, new brands are gaining ground. BYD, Omoda and Jaecoo are expanding dealer networks and bringing fresh competition into the UK market.

What This Means for Skills in the Motor Trade

As electric vehicles take up a larger share of registrations and new brands continue to expand their UK networks, dealerships are having to adjust in practical ways.

That means more technical training, updated diagnostic systems and more detailed conversations in the showroom. Customers are asking about charging infrastructure, software updates and long-term running costs as part of everyday sales discussions.

Manufacturers are planning years ahead because the mandate requires them to think about their future product mix. Recruitment, however, is still often driven by immediate need.

In many businesses, hiring begins when a vacancy appears and ends when the position is filled. It solves the problem in front of you.

The question is whether short-term hiring is enough in a market where the direction of travel is increasingly being set from outside the industry.

Planning Beyond the Vacancy

Manufacturers now have to plan their product mix several years in advance. Whether they agree with the policy or not, the timeline is set.

Hiring does not always get the same long-term thinking.

Recruitment often focuses on replacing capability that has just left the business. What it does not always address is the capability the business will need next.

A technician who is open to ongoing training as systems evolve is likely to hold their value for longer than one who is only comfortable with what they already know. A sales manager who can adapt to new product lines and shifting customer expectations is usually better positioned than someone relying purely on past success.

That is not about chasing policy or reacting to headlines. It is about maintaining performance as the shape of the market changes.

Experience still matters. So does the willingness to evolve alongside the industry.

So Where Does That Leave Hiring?

The ZEV mandate will continue to be debated. Targets may flex and timelines may shift, but the broader direction of the market is unlikely to reverse.

Dealerships cannot control policy or global competition but they can control how they build their teams.

Hiring purely to fill the immediate gap keeps things moving. Hiring with an eye on how roles are likely to evolve over the next few years builds stability.

The difference is subtle, but it matters.