Overview
- The prime minister’s office is reviewing a government consultation that would offer options to lower the 2030 battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales target to about 50%, with 60% or 70% also reported as possibilities.
- Carbon Brief analysis finds a weaker mandate could add up to £3 billion a year to UK drivers’ total ownership costs by 2030, raise oil imports by about 17 million barrels and increase national emissions by roughly 2.5% that year.
- Car makers and dealer groups have lobbied for a rollback, saying the current rule forces heavy, last‑minute EV discounts as firms race to meet quotas and avoid fines of about £12,000 for each non‑compliant vehicle.
- EV industry and climate groups warn that lowering the target would risk deterring consumers, slowing investment in charging and battery supply chains and undermining the long‑term shift away from petrol cars.
- The policy in question is the ZEV mandate, which currently requires 33% BEV sales in 2026 and 80% by 2030 but includes flexibilities and is backed by about £7.5 billion of government support for uptake and charging infrastructure.