Speaking during the manufacturer panel, sponsored by Keyloop, at Car Dealer Live 2026, Dacia UK’s new brand director, Lina Ribeiro, XPeng and Subaru UK managing director Lorraine Bishton, and David Kateley, Suzuki GB director of automobile, gave their views on a range of topics, from EVs to the importance of dealer networks.
On new the subject of discounting new EVs, the executives all highlighted growing concern that short-term tactics to hit ZEV mandate targets are distorting the market.
Kateley pointed to the growing tension between long-term strategy and immediate pressures, describing a market caught between ‘confliction, where we want to be strategic, we want to plan long term, but then you’ve got the short term tactics of trying to hit mandate targets’.
That pressure is increasingly leading manufacturers to push EV volumes through heavy incentives, which is having a knock-on effect on used values. As Kateley, ‘every time we force the market on EV, that has a fundamental impact on the used car market’.
The concern is that weakening residual values will ultimately feed back into the new car market, making it harder to sustain demand due to higher finance costs and lower consumer confidence.
Kateley said it was important ‘not [to] sacrifice residual value because hitting a mandate target is important, but it’s not as important as the customer experience and the customer choice’.
The issue is particularly acute for legacy brands, which face regulatory pressure to increase EV sales quickly, unlike newer electric-only entrants.
Industry leaders stressed the importance of working closely with dealer networks to manage the transition more sustainably. ‘We have to listen, understand, and then respond accordingly,’ Kateley said, noting that both manufacturers and retailers ultimately share the financial impact of falling used values.
The panel discussion included some fascinating observations from Lorraine Bishton on the mindset needed to operate a Chinese challenger brand, and Lina Ribeiro’s plans to grow a traditionally value-for-money brand in a time of high new car prices.
The session can be watched by visiting the Car Dealer Live website where you can purchase a replay ticket. This will allow you to watch back each session in-full on video to watch back at your leisure.
You can hear all the highlights from Car Dealer Live 2026 in our special podcast, which can be listened to below:
