Supporting the industry

Supporting the
automotive industry

Our aim is to support the industry in its transition towards the mass adoption of electric vehicles (‘EVs’).

Our wealth of data and insight gives us a unique view of consumer car buying intentions and particularly consumer EV buying intentions. This data forms the basis of our award winning 'Road to 2035' Reports, which are extremely valuable to not only the Government, but also to media and the industries involved in the electric transition.

The Zero Emission Vehicle mandate came into force in 2024, causing
significant levels of change in the industry for manufacturers and retailers
as the mandate began to dictate the number of EVs each brand needs to
sell each year or risk paying fines. A lot needs to happen in the coming
years to ensure the successful mass adoption of electric vehicles.

We have been regularly meeting with various Government departments
to share our data and insights to help guide policy for a number of years
now and in the past 12 months, the number of Government departments
receiving these insights has expanded, showing the value and impact of
our work. Additionally, this year we were invited to present oral and written
evidence at the House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee
Electric Vehicles inquiry, with our research playing a key part in the summary
document of the inquiry.

The NFDA EVA Road to 2035

Developing our first ever
Carbon Literacy Toolkit

Developed in partnership with The Carbon Literacy Trust, the toolkit is
the first of its kind, being carefully designed in close collaboration with
leading retailers and manufacturers, including: Nissan, Marshall Motor
Group, Lookers, Motorpoint, Available Car and SYNETIQ.

Available for any organisation, of any size, working within the automotive
industry, it has been developed with the purpose of supporting individuals
and businesses in their journey towards reducing their carbon footprint.

The industry-wide collaboration underpins just how high a priority
sustainability has become for many automotive organisations. In fact,
prior to the official launch of the toolkit, two open pilot courses had
already taken place, both of which were attended by a broad range of
brands representing the full spectrum of the industry, including: Kia,
Vauxhall, Volkswagen Group, Jaguar Land Rover, Stellantis, Arnold Clark,
Perrys, Sinclair Group, Drive Green, the Society of Motor Manufacturers
and Traders, RCI Banque, Dealer Auction, KeeResources, AutoConvert,
Marshall Motor Group, Lookers and Nissan.

The Automotive
Carbon Literacy Toolkit is
the first initiative funded
and rolled out by the
private sector to address
the industry's rapid shift to
a low carbon economy
amid climate change.

Dave Coleman
Managing Director of The Carbon Literacy Project

Embracing carbon literacy

Lookers is a company that has woven carbon literacy into the very fabric of its operations, seamlessly integrating it into their sustainability plans. This video sets out their unwavering dedication to making a positive impact on our planet. It's a celebration of their collective efforts, a testament to the power of conscious decision-making in driving change.

Read the press release

The Carbon Literacy Project

Supporting retailers with the transition to EVs

Retailer Performance Masterclasses

Available on demand via Portal accounts, retailers can navigate
modules in their own time. Upon completion they’ll receive an RPM
certification to confirm they are up to date on how to get the very
best from their online presence with Auto Trader, and crucially, how
to utilise its products to capitalise on opportunities within today’s
market — particularly around the increasing popularity of EVs.

Find out more

A positive influence

The government’s plans to ban the sale of new petrol
and diesel cars by 2035 require a step change in our
industry and a lot needs to happen in the coming years
to ensure the infrastructure is in place to support mass
consumer adoption of EVs.

We actively support the industry’s efforts to increase
the consumer adoption of EVs — through events such
as the annual two day EV Summit (pictured right).
Our wealth of data and insight gives us a unique view
of consumer car buying intentions, and particularly
consumer EV buying intentions. This data is extremely
valuable to not only the government but also the
industry as a whole.

Ian Plummer
Commercial Director

Industry-focused
sustainability events

We have launched a programme of sustainability
events to bring together sustainability-focused
organisations to collaborate and share ideas. We hosted
two sustainability events during the year and have plans in
place for a further two events in the coming year.

We invite businesses to share their sustainability journeys,
ask questions and share ideas with the aim of inspiring action
and motivating businesses to be more sustainable.

Read the press release

Also in this section

Supporting consumers

Our aim is to support consumers to make more environmentally friendly vehicle choices and to be the number one electric vehicle destination in the UK.

Our net zero commitment

Net zero refers to the balance between the amount of greenhouse gases produced vs the amount removed from the atmosphere. We reach net zero when the amount we add is no more than the amount taken away.

TCFD reporting

We support the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (‘TCFD’) and its recommendations and are committed to assessing the impacts of climate risks and opportunities across our operations and supply chains.