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Motor Vehicles: Waste Disposal

Asked by James McMurdockIndependentDepartment for TransportTabled Answered 19 March 2026UIN 120281

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the transition to electric vehicles on the number and proportion of vehicles disposed of annually.

Answered by Keir Mather

The Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate and the Government’s Electric Car Grant both require vehicle manufacturers to provide a warranty of at least 8 years or 100,000 miles on electric vehicle (EV) batteries, ensuring vehicles and their batteries have long useable lives.

The latest evidence on vehicle lifespans shows that EVs last just as long as their petrol equivalents. Battery replacements remain rare, and do not require the full vehicle to be disposed of. The number and proportion of vehicles scrapped annually is not expected to be affected by the transition to ZEVs.

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