The UK government is reportedly considering lowering its 2030 target for new electric car sales, which is currently set at 80% of all new cars by 2030, to a figure in the region of 50-70%. Any change would be subject to a formal consultation expected to run for months, although the government is set to meet industry leaders this week to gather their views. While targets may be weakened, it is believed that manufacturer fines for non compliance and the inter-manufacturer credit trading system will remain unchanged.
The potential shift follows heavy lobbying from some voices, who have argued against the ambition of the current ZEV mandate. Under the mandate currently in place, the share of new cars required to be zero-emission rises each year – 28% for 2025, 33% for 2026, and ultimately 80% by 2030. However, many manufacturers, particularly those purely selling EVs or making up a high proportion of their sales, and industry bodies are against any further weakening of the mandate. Last year, Polestar’s UK CEO urged the government to resist pressure to dilute the current targets within the mandate.
Any revision to the 2030 EV figure would be subject to a formal consultation, a process likely to take months. In the nearer term, Downing Street is due to meet car industry representatives this week to discuss the proposed changes, which were first reported by the Sunday Times. It would also mark the second adjustment to the ZEV mandate in just over a year, as in April 2025, the government already made a significant adjustment – allowing new hybrid cars to be sold until 2035, rather than 2030 previously.
How is the industry reacting?
Vicky Read, Chief Executive of ChargeUK, said:
“That the Prime Minister is considering weakening the key policy underpinning the £385 billion economic opportunity from transport electrification is astonishing. Weakening the ZEV Mandate for a third time would not only slam the brakes on infrastructure rollout and send the entire transition into a tailspin. It would bring Britain’s reputation as a market worth investing in into disrepute.
The charging sector has ploughed billions into putting chargers in the ground on the basis of this policy, ahead of profitability. It is expected to support 71,000 jobs by 2035, and we will not see the 334,000 it could provide the foundation for across the automotive sector as it electrifies without the mandate staying as it is. This government said it would not flip flop like the previous did. To move the goalposts again would be exactly that — an act of self-harm denying the country a forward facing, economically prosperous industry leaving us behind the rest of the world.”
Guy Bartlett, CEO of UK CPO Believ, added:
“Believ has committed over £300m of private investment to build EV charging infrastructure ahead of demand, helping support the 35-40% of UK households without access to a driveway as they make the transition to EVs.
That investment was made on the strength of the ZEV Mandate. At a time when markets such as China are moving quickly and with clear intent, the UK cannot afford to send mixed signals on the pace of the EV transition. If this review results in further flexibilities, it will look less like leadership and more like hesitation at exactly the moment the market needs certainty. Any softening of the framework risks slowing EV uptake, creating greater uncertainty for infrastructure investment, and making it harder to justify rollout in lower-utilization and harder-to-serve locations. That would directly disadvantage the drivers and communities who are relying on public charging to make the switch.
We support the government’s 2030 ambition, but ambition must now be backed by consistency. The UK still has the opportunity to lead, but only if policy gives the market the confidence to keep investing at pace.”
Thom Groot, CEO of The Electric Car Scheme, commented:
“Diluting the ZEV mandate would be a catastrophic own goal. Consumer demand for EVs is growing, proof that the appetite is absolutely there. Through salary sacrifice alone, we’ve seen demand for new EVs double in the past year.
Consumers and manufacturers alike need consistency to plan and invest. Watering down these targets only benefits those who haven’t taken them seriously from the start. I would like to see the Government channel the momentum already gained into focusing on innovations and incentives that make EVs more accessible. We will make this clear in the review.”
