Stellantis UK boss Paul Willcox has asserted that Government’s decision to axe its electric vehicle (EV) car buying grant does not support ambitions to “move to a fully electric future”.

Willcox, who became group managing director for Stellantis UK at the start of this month, echoed comments from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), which said ending the plug-in car grant (PiCG) sent out “the wrong message to motorists”.

Willcox, now at the helm of helm of Vauxhall, Peugeot, Citroën, DS Automobiles, Fiat, Fiat Professional, Abarth, Jeep and Alfa Romeo in the UK, said: “It is disappointing to see the that the UK Government has stopped the plug-in car grant today without notice.

“At Stellantis, we are fully committed to a zero-emission future and have ambitious goals across our brands with our Dare Forward 2030 strategic plan to have entirely fully electric cars and vans well ahead of the Government deadline of 2035.

“The transition to this ambitious decarbonised future requires that all of the enabling conditions including a robust charging infrastructure are put in place to assist our customers in making the move to electric mobility.