Overview
- The Department for Transport launched a formal consultation on Friday that reopens the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate and runs until 23 October for submissions.
- The paper sets out clear options to keep the 80% 2030 battery-electric vehicle (BEV) target or reduce it to 70%, 60% or 50%, and to extend compliance flexibilities such as trading credits and plug-in hybrid treatment.
- Vehicle makers and franchised dealers pressed for the review, saying current annual BEV quotas force heavy discounting, squeeze margins and risk UK manufacturing and retail jobs if unchanged.
- Charging companies and climate groups say weakening the mandate would weaken the investment case for charge points, and modelling by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit suggests a 50% 2030 target could mean up to 5.8 million fewer BEV sales versus the current path.
- Ministers and devolved administrations will assess evidence after the consultation closes and could amend targets or flexibilities, a decision that observers warn will affect future charging roll‑out, factory investment and the pace of transport emissions cuts.