Kia Boss: Electric Car Targets a ‘Sword Hanging Over Us’
By Tom Saunders
March 13, 2025
The UK head of Kia has criticized the government’s electric vehicle (EV) mandate, describing it as a “perverse” situation for car manufacturers.
Speaking at a recent conference, Paul Philpott, the president and chief executive of Kia UK, expressed concerns about the disconnect between the company’s substantial investments in electric vehicle technology and the current lack of consumer incentives to purchase these vehicles.
Philpott stated, “We’re all feeling we’ve got swords held above our heads with £15,000 per unit fines if we miss these targets. That is forcing us to incentivise and discount the very best technology that we’ve invested billions in in order to get to government targets … it’s just all a bit perverse right now.”
