The Department for Transport has launched a new consultation on watering down Britain's electric vehicle sales targets for carmakers between now and the end of the decade.
Under the proposed changes to the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate, ministers are considering slashing the required proportion of electric cars manufacturers must sell by 2030 from 80 per cent to 70, 60 or even 50 per cent.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: "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."
The Department for Transport defended the review of the zero-emission driving pathway, stating it is reacting to "challenging and complex global economic conditions, including supply chain disruption and tariff and trade uncertainty" to ensure regulations remain "pro-business and grounded in the real-world."
Motoring editor Rob Hull noted that learner drivers spend less time shunting backwards and forwards attempting to parallel park than ministers have dithering over electric vehicle sales targets.
Proposed changes to vehicle targets
While the government is maintaining its overall ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, the consultation targets the key policy enforcing manufacturer compliance.
The ZEV mandate required electric vehicles to make up 22 per cent of manufacturer sales in 2024, rising to 28 per cent last year and 33 per cent in 2026.
In addition to reducing end-of-decade sales thresholds, the Department for Transport is considering additional flexibilities for carmakers over the next three years and reviewing how plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) can be incentivised to operate in electric mode.
Timeline of changing deadlines
The latest announcement marks the sixth major shift in official policy regarding fossil-fuelled vehicles over the past nine years.
In July 2017, Michael Gove, then Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, first set a deadline in his Air Quality Plan to phase out new petrol and diesel car sales by 2040.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson accelerated that target to 2030 in November 2020 as part of his ten-point plan for a Green Industrial Revolution.
In 2023, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak delayed the deadline by five years to 2035, citing cost-of-living pressures and arguing that the upfront cost of electric cars remained too high for financially struggling families, while simultaneously introducing the ZEV mandate.
Ahead of the 2024 General Election, Keir Starmer pledged to reinstate the 2030 ban to position the Labour Party as committed to green energy and net-zero goals.
However, in April last year, Labour began diluting its position by adding flexibilities and loopholes to help manufacturers avoid fines, leading to the latest consultation supported by regional figures including Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham.
Industry lobbying and manufacturer pressure
Pressure to ease sales quotas has been led by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), representing the UK's $2.75 trillion automotive industry.
The SMMT stated that while electric vehicle sales continue to grow month after month, gains have required billions of pounds in manufacturer discounts and incentives that cannot continue indefinitely.
Taxpayers are also contributing £2 billion in government grants to reduce the price of new electric models between now and 2029-30.
In April, a Freedom of Information request by The Fast Charge newsletter revealed that BMW, Ford, Nissan, Toyota and automotive giant Bosch sent a joint letter lobbying ministers behind closed doors.
The coalition called for an "open technology approach" allowing combustion engines, hybrids, plug-in hybrids and range-extenders paired with sustainable fuels to remain on sale beyond 2035, mirroring successful lobbying efforts in the European Union last year.
Conversely, Dr Andy Palmer, former chief executive of Aston Martin and former Nissan executive who launched the Leaf EV, accused slow-moving carmakers of driving the push for delays.
Speaking to Times Radio, Dr Palmer stated that automakers that have been slow to move to electric vehicles are "lobbying hard to get a delay so that they can catch up" at the expense of competitors that moved more quickly.
Infrastructure concerns and financial impacts
Business leaders within the electric vehicle sector warned that weakening regulatory targets risks damaging investor confidence.
Delvin Lane, chief executive of InstaVolt, which has invested hundreds of millions of pounds building the UK's largest ultra-rapid public charging network, warned that softening the mandate "risks spooking exactly the private capital that's been building the infrastructure this transition depends on."
Gurjeet Grewal, chief executive of Octopus Electric Vehicles, stated that "the ZEV mandate is working" and is "giving manufacturers confidence to invest and drivers confidence to switch."
Grewal added that "weakening it now would send exactly the wrong signal, just as EVs are becoming some of the best-value cars on the road," noting Carbon Brief estimates that shifting goalposts could cost drivers £3 billion a year in petrol between now and 2030.
Grewal urged ministers to accelerate the transition rather than creating policies that leave drivers, businesses and the economy paying the price.
Current sales data and compliance rules
Pure electric car registrations are up 28.7 per cent in 2026 so far, with more than 320,000 registered since the start of the year, accounting for just over a quarter of total new cars entering the road.
Although pure electric cars account for one in five new registrations so far in 2026 compared to the headline target of one in three, built-in flexibilities allow most major brands to remain compliant.
Stuart Masson, editorial director of The Car Expert, compared the mandate to income tax allowances, noting that flexibilities reduce the effective target for manufacturers closer to 25 per cent this year.
The SMMT maintained, however, that adhering to lower thresholds through allowances continues to impose unmanageable financial costs on manufacturers.
Showroom uncertainty for hybrid vehicles
Questions remain over which vehicle models will be permitted in UK showrooms between 2030 and 2035.
While pure petrol and diesel cars face an eventual ban, mild hybrid vehicles that cannot drive on electric power alone are unlikely to qualify.
Self-charging hybrids, such as the Toyota Prius, face regulatory uncertainty due to their minimal electric-only capability.
Plug-in hybrids represent the strongest candidates for post-2030 sales, with newer Chinese models travelling over 90 miles on electric power before the engine activates.
Industry developments and new electric models
As policy reviews continue, car manufacturers are expanding their electric model lineups across multiple market segments.
Volkswagen has unveiled its ID.Cross EV compact SUV to compete against Chinese rivals in global markets.
Honda is developing the Super-N sub-£19,000 electric vehicle to challenge compact competitors such as the Renault 5.
Performance brands are expanding electric options, with road tests underway for the £90,000 Polestar 5 and early previews of the Ferrari Luce.
Ferrari is developing a £500,000 electric supercar, while Honda has introduced its first electric motorcycle concept.
Volvo has introduced the EX60 featuring a 500-mile range and integrated artificial intelligence, while Citroen is expanding urban transport with the e-C3 Urban Range.
Urban mobility options also include the return of the Smart Car brand next year, alongside Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers introducing fast-charging technology to the UK market.
