Government's EV targets expected to be reduced this week
New petrol or diesel cars are due to be phased out by 2030 and by 2035 all new cars must be zero emission.
Key points
- The UK government is expected to reduce its target of 80% electric new car sales by 2030 this week.
- Carmakers have called for relief while environmental and energy groups warn of damage to climate goals.
- Downing Street says no decision has been made and Andy Burnham has recused himself from the issue.
The UK government's electric vehicle targets are expected to be reduced this week, a move likely to be welcomed by carmakers but opposed by environmental groups. Current rules require 80% of new cars sold in the UK to be electric by 2030, with new petrol and diesel cars phased out by 2030 and all new cars zero emission by 2035.
The government has been consulting on reducing the 80% rule and a significant reduction is now expected. Downing Street has insisted no decision has been made, and a government source told the BBC the issue would be approached in a "pragmatic and balanced" way.
Pressure from carmakers
Industry groups have long called for "urgent relief" from the targets. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders welcomed the government's review when it was announced in the summer, and its head Mike Hawes said last week that the shift to electric vehicles had come at a "heavy cost", with billions spent on discounts to drive demand.
Hawes said the government's targets could not be achieved "without putting at risk any future investment".
No decision has been made at this point.
— Andy Burnham
Opposition and COP31 context
Sustainability groups say weakening the 2030 target would threaten the UK's long-term electrification and climate goals, and could undermine its claim to climate leadership as ministers head to Turkey for COP31. Energy UK, the energy industry's trade association, has also opposed the move, saying last month that reducing targets could damage "the investment certainty needed to deliver the infrastructure, innovation and services required for the transition to zero-emission transport".
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has recused himself from the issue due to his wife's links to an electric vehicle company, and Cabinet Office minister Louise Haigh will chair the key meetings. Burnham dismissed reports of reduced targets as "speculation", adding: "No decision has been made at this point."
