Electric vehicle sales targets could be cut after pressure from car makers
The government says it is considering cutting the new electric car sales target from 80% to 50% by 2030.
The UK government is considering a reduction in its electric vehicle (EV) sales targets, initiating a review after lobbying from car manufacturers.
Currently, the mandate stipulates that 80% of all new cars sold by 2030 must be EVs. However, the automotive industry has pressed ministers to lower this objective, citing excessive costs and potential job losses. The government has now indicated it might decrease this figure to as low as 50% of total sales by the decade's end, a proposal open for consultation until late October.
Environmental organizations contend that weakening this target compromises the UK's long-term climate commitments.
Under the existing ZEV mandate, the proportion of new car sales required to be EVs progressively increases annually, starting at 33% for 2026 and culminating in 80% by 2030.
A complete prohibition on the sale of purely petrol or diesel cars beyond 2030 will remain in effect, a pledge made by Labour in its election manifesto. Nevertheless, the proposed changes under consultation could permit car manufacturers to sell a greater proportion of hybrid vehicles within the UK's overall sales. This implies that if the government lowers the pure electric sales target to 50%, the remaining 50% would need to be hybrids.
Another alternative being considered is maintaining the 80% target but offering car manufacturers flexibility, extending as far as 2034. A longer-term deadline for phasing out new hybrid sales would also stay in place for 2035.
The policy concerning EV sales has undergone significant revisions over time. Boris Johnson, during his premiership, initially announced a ban on new petrol and diesel vehicle sales by 2030, which his successor, Rishi Sunak, later postponed to 2035. Sunak also introduced more gradual EV sales targets under the ZEV mandate. Labour has previously accused past Conservative governments of "moving goalposts on phase out dates."
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander stated on Friday: "It's right we keep targets under review to ensure they're practical and back British industry. The end goal hasn't changed – but we need to take business with us on the journey, and that's exactly what we're doing today, by making sure industry has the chance to shape how we get there."
Mike Hawes, head of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, the leading car industry lobby group, remarked that the ZEV mandate was "conceived under vastly different conditions." He described the review as "a timely opportunity to adjust the transition so it works for all."
However, advocates for electric cars and climate groups have criticized the move. Tanya Sinclair, head of the industry group Electric Vehicles UK, criticized the government for "asking whether we should extend the availability of polluting vehicles amid our hottest summer on record." Gurjeet Grewal, chief of Octopus Electric Vehicles, added that weakening the mandate "would send exactly the wrong signal, just as EVs are becoming some of the best-value cars on the road." The Green Alliance warned that diluting targets would "lock in avoidable emissions while undermining the certainty manufacturers need to invest."
(Related news: Tories to scrap petrol car ban if they win next election; EU waters down plans to end new petrol and diesel car sales by 2035)