UK Government Expected to Cut Its 2030 Electric Car Target This Week

The UK government is expected to cut its 2030 electric vehicle sales target this week, according to the Guardian and the BBC. The move would ease pressure on carmakers but anger many Labour MPs, environmental groups and the EV charging industry.

Government sources told the Guardian that Louise Haigh, described as the de facto deputy prime minister, will finalize the plan after a meeting in Downing Street on Wednesday. Downing Street insists that no decision has been made.

What ministers are weighing

Under the current rules, 80% of new cars sold in the UK must be electric by 2030, and all new cars must be zero emission by 2035. The Guardian reported that carmakers face fines for missing the targets, though exemptions let them avoid penalties, for example by selling more hybrids or by making up for weak electric sales later.

The government opened a consultation in August with five options: leave the mandate unchanged, keep 80% but extend the flexibilities to 2034, or lower the 2030 target to 70%, 60% or 50%. The Guardian reported that the business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, wants 50%, while the transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, is believed to favor about 60%. Miatta Fahnbulleh and Ed Miliband are understood to want 80% kept.

Government insiders told the Guardian that Haigh will probably approve a 2030 target of about 60% and extend the flexibilities until 2034. The paper described that as a cut of about a quarter. It also reported that Prime Minister Andy Burnham has stepped back from the decision because his wife advises the board of the EV charging network Be.EV.

The case for relief: carmakers and the government

Carmakers have argued for years that the interim targets are out of reach, blaming higher inflation and squeezed household budgets, the Guardian reported. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders says the industry will miss this year's 33% target by a wide margin. Battery EVs made up 26.6% of new car sales in the first 10 months of the year.

Mike Hawes, the group's chief executive, said the gap between demand and the mandated targets keeps widening. He called for a meaningful change to the trajectory and wider flexibilities to protect jobs and investment.

A government spokesperson said ministers are united on the mandate and remain committed to ending sales of new cars that rely solely on petrol or diesel by 2030, and to 100% zero-emission new car and van sales by 2035. The spokesperson said the consultation would not change that and would ensure a “pragmatic and balanced” approach.

The case against: MPs, campaigners and charging firms

Labour MPs have voiced concern. Lizzi Collinge said the decision could have the biggest climate impact of any on the prime minister's desk and would also shape energy prices and the cost of living. Catherine Fookes said the mandate needs to stay.

The Guardian reported that the policy is expected to deliver more emissions savings than any other, nearly 14% of the reductions the UK has pledged between 2028 and 2032. Some MPs are already unhappy about the approval of the Jackdaw gas field and cuts to green schemes to fund higher defense spending. The BBC noted that a steeper cut could be read by some as the government putting economic concerns ahead of environmental ones.

Shane Brennan, chief executive of the trade body ChargeUK, said weakening the mandate puts £1.7 billion of charging infrastructure at risk, along with related jobs and supply chain spending. He said investor confidence would be hit by a third change in three years. Paul McNamee, director of the Labour Climate and Environment Forum, said a significant weakening would be seen as a retreat from climate leadership. He said the government should promise not to weaken it again and to keep the 2035 target.

Why it matters for drivers and the car industry

The mandate sets how many electric cars manufacturers must sell each year, and so shapes what dealers stock and what charging companies can expect in demand. A lower 2030 target would give carmakers more room on sales and fines. The charging industry, according to the Guardian, depends on high EV sales to recoup its investment.

The government says the 2030 end date for new petrol-only and diesel-only cars and the 2035 zero-emission goal stay in place. The policy has changed repeatedly since Boris Johnson introduced it in 2020, the BBC reported. His successor Rishi Sunak pushed the timeline back to 2035. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has said her party would drop the petrol car ban if it wins the next election.

What happens next

Haigh is due to settle the dispute after Wednesday's meeting. The Guardian reported that the decision comes as Burnham prepares for his first Cop summit as prime minister, where he and foreign secretary Ed Miliband are expected to promote electrification globally. A decision on the Rosebank oilfield is also pending, and some MPs see it as another test of the government's green commitments.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by The Guardian, BBC News