UK poised to water down 2030 EV sales targets after industry and union pressure

Under the proposals, hybrid vehicles could be allowed to make up a far bigger proportion of the UK’s car sales in the medium term. Photograph: Jose Sarmento Matos/Bloomberg/Getty Images View image in fullscreen Under the proposals, hybrid vehicles could be allowed to make up a far bigger proportion of the UK’s car sales in the medium term. Photograph: Jose Sarmento Matos/Bloomberg/Getty Images UK poised to water down 2030 EV sales targets after industry and union pressure Keir Starmer ready to overrule Ed Miliband after warnings manufacturers would be penalised and jobs put at risk The UK government is poised to water down its 2030 targets for electric vehicle sales after intensive lobbying by the car industry and unions. The government is preparing to consult on less ambitious targets for the transition to fully battery-powered electric cars over the rest of the decade after carmakers and unions warned that they would penalise manufacturers and put jobs at risk. Hybrid vehicles could be allowed to make up a far bigger proportion of the UK’s car sales in the medium term by softening the mandate for pure electric cars from 80% of all sales by 2030 to 50%. Car industry pressing EU for further delay to Brexit EV tariffs Read more Government sources stressed that the 2030 ban on the sale of new purely petrol or diesel cars would still apply, meaning 50% of car sales would be hybrid electric. The government’s 2035 deadline for phasing out new hybrid cars is understood to remain in place. The government’s electric vehicle targets, known as the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, were first introduced under the Conservatives in 2023 to force carmakers to increase sales of electric cars up to 80% by 2030. The latest proposed change would mark the second time since coming to power that the Labour government has weakened the rules by allowing carmakers to sell more hybrid vehicles. Ministers tweaked the mandate rules last year to allow prolonged sales of plug-in hybrid cars – which have petrol engines and a small battery – in a move that campaigners warned would significantly drive up emissions. Just under 14% of sales are now of plug-in hybrid models. The government had already committed to review the mandates again in 2027 but is now set to bring that forward. According to a report in the Sunday Times, the prime minister, Keir Starmer , has opted to back the business secretary, Peter Kyle, in weakening the mandate rather than sticking to net zero targets as urged by the energy secretary, Ed Miliband. Electric vehicle sales are increasing steadily but continue to lag behind the government’s targets after initial years of rapid growth. In May, 27.3% of UK new car registrations were battery electric, below the 33% mandate for 2026 sales. Manufacturers have said they are having to discount heavily to boost sales of EVs, whose production costs have not yet fallen as fast as anticipated. Under the ZEV mandate carmakers are credited for electric car sales but