Car makers are being forced to build thousands of electric vehicles that customers don't want – and they face large fines if they don't.

That's the strategy being pursued by the Government because of a green plan dreamed up by civil servants that could lead to a glut of expensive EVs. 

Further still, it could create a shortage of low-polluting, petrol-electric hybrids for which demand is booming, crash residual values and destroy what's left of UK car manufacturing as China moves in to mop up.

Ultimately, UK consumers will pay the price, along with motor industry workers and suppliers who face losing their jobs as factories are forced to close.

But don't take my word for it. Ask Labour peer and former trade union leader Lord Woodley of Wallasey, who has condemned the plan as 'political suicide'.

He should know. As a teenager, Tony Woodley began his automotive career at Vauxhall's Ellesmere Port plant in Merseyside.

When I first met him in the mid-1990s, he was the hard-nosed but highly respected chief motor industry negotiator for the giant Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU), before becoming its general secretary from 2004 and joint general secretary of the Unite union from 2007 to 2011.

Like industry bosses, he has stressed that moving towards an electric future is right – but what is wrong is the unsustainable timetable and draconian fines.

This is about the Government's Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate, which requires 22 per cent of all new cars sold to UK customers this year to be fully electric. 

That rises to 28 per cent next year then ever upwards to 100 per cent by 2035. 

Car makers are fined £15,000 for every non-EV vehicle sold up to the target number. 

'It is ridiculous,' Lord Woodley told peers.

So far, the industry is falling about 4 per cent short of that quota – on track for £1.4billion in fines. 

Car firms are already subsidising each EV by around £6,000, which Lord Woodley revealed adds another £2billion to costs.

Fines can be offset by buying credits from manufacturers who exceed their EV targets – namely Chinese makers and the US brand Tesla.

'The idea of UK manufacturers paying the Chinese or the Americans billions in credits is a nonsense and, I suggest, political suicide in automotive constituencies across the country,' he added.

'The market has collapsed, apart from fleet sales, so we need incentives both to build and to buy.'

Instead, VAT on new electric cars should be reduced and VAT on public chargers should be lowered to equal that on private domestic chargers. 

The higher road tax on expensive car purchases should be scrapped and the ZEV mandate timetable 'reset' to realistic levels.

Exported EVs and commercial vehicle EVs should be counted as 'credits'.

Two Vauxhall van plants – Ellesmere Port and Luton – are already 'at serious risk of being closed' because of this, he warned.

Robert Forrester, boss of the car dealer Vertu, welcomed his comments, saying: 'At last, Parliament has debated electric vehicles with a proper discussion on the damaging Zev Mandate.'