Ministers have opened a consultation that could reduce the UK's electric vehicle sales target for 2030, after car manufacturers warned that the current 80% requirement would prove too costly and threaten jobs. The consultation, running until late October, will consider lowering the goal to as little as 50% of new car sales, with the review announced on Friday.
The existing rule, known as the ZEV mandate, requires an increasing share of new car sales to be fully electric each year, climbing toward 80% by 2030. According to a national broadcaster's report, the annual targets were set at 28% for 2025 and 33% for 2026 before rising further, and the government's review is now weighing figures anywhere between 50% and 70% for the 2030 target.
Despite the possible reduction in the pure-EV requirement, the government has confirmed that the ban on selling new petrol and diesel-only cars beyond 2030 will remain untouched, honouring a commitment made in Labour's election manifesto.
What changes are being considered?
One option would allow manufacturers to sell more hybrid vehicles as part of their overall sales mix, meaning that if the pure-EV target were cut to 50%, the remaining half of sales could be hybrids rather than fully electric cars. A second possibility would keep the 80% target intact but give manufacturers flexibility to reach it as late as 2034 rather than 2030. Either way, a separate long-term deadline to phase out new hybrid sales entirely by 2035 is expected to stay in place.
How has policy shifted over time?
The rules governing petrol, diesel and electric vehicle sales in the UK have already been revised multiple times in recent years. The original ban on new petrol and diesel cars was announced in 2020 under then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson, before his successor Rishi Sunak delayed it to 2035, according to the same report. Sunak's government also introduced the gradual, year-by-year targets now in place under the ZEV mandate. Labour has since pledged to reinstate the earlier 2030 deadline for ending pure petrol and diesel car sales.
Separately, according to , the government already eased elements of the mandate in April 2025, reducing penalties for manufacturers who miss targets, exempting low-volume manufacturers including Aston Martin, Bentley and McLaren, and permitting the sale of full hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles through to 2035. The UK's approach has differed from the European Union's, which allows manufacturers to count a mix of hybrids and electric vehicles toward compliance, whereas Britain's mandate has specifically required a set proportion of entirely electric vehicle sales, according to .
Labour figures have previously criticised the Conservatives for repeatedly shifting deadlines, describing it as “moving goalposts on phase out dates.”
What are officials and industry saying?
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander defended the review as a necessary check on feasibility rather than a change in ambition.
It's right we keep targets under review to ensure they're practical and back British industry.
The end goal hasn't changed – but we need to take business with us on the journey, and that's exactly what we're doing today, by making sure industry has the chance to shape how we get there.
Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, the leading car industry lobby group, argued that circumstances had shifted significantly since the mandate was introduced.
The ZEV mandate was conceived under vastly different conditions.
He described the review as
a timely opportunity to adjust the transition so it works for all.
How have environmental and EV groups reacted?
Electric vehicle advocates and environmental organisations pushed back strongly against the prospect of a lower target. Tanya Sinclair, head of Electric Vehicles UK, questioned the timing of the review given recent weather extremes.
Asking whether we should extend the availability of polluting vehicles amid our hottest summer on record.
Gurjeet Grewal, chief executive of Octopus Electric Vehicles, warned that softening the mandate could damage market confidence just as electric vehicles were becoming more competitively priced.
Weakening the mandate would send exactly the wrong signal, just as EVs are becoming some of the best-value cars on the road.
The Green Alliance also raised concerns about the long-term climate implications of the proposed changes.
Lock in avoidable emissions while undermining the certainty manufacturers need to invest.
What happens next?
The consultation will remain open until late October 2025, giving manufacturers, environmental groups and other stakeholders the opportunity to respond before any final decision is made. According to a national broadcaster's report, resolving the consultation and reaching a final decision on the revised target could take several months.
Key Facts
- Current ZEV mandate requires 80% of new car sales to be electric by 2030.
- Government is consulting on reducing that target to between 50% and 70%.
- Ban on new petrol and diesel-only car sales beyond 2030 remains unchanged.
- Consultation runs until late October 2025, with a decision expected months later.
- April 2025 changes already eased penalties and exempted low-volume manufacturers such as Aston Martin, Bentley and McLaren.
