- Electric car sales have risen 29 per cent this year.
- The 2030 target could fall from 80 per cent to 50 per cent.
- The consultation will run until October 23.
Britain is considering weakening its electric vehicle sales targets just as demand for electric cars is rising, putting the government's approach to the transition under fresh scrutiny.
The government has launched a consultation on whether to reduce the 2030 zero-emission vehicle mandate from its current 80 per cent target for new cars to 70 per cent, 60 per cent or as little as 50 per cent. Ministers are also considering keeping the 80 per cent target unchanged.
Electric car sales have risen 29 per cent in the UK this year, with EVs accounting for around a quarter of new car sales in the first seven months.
The government said the review was intended to ensure the targets remained practical and supported British industry, rather than abandoning its wider move towards cleaner transport.
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander reportedly said the targets needed to remain practical and that the government's end goal had not changed.
Under the existing ZEV mandate, manufacturers must increase the share of zero-emission cars they sell each year, with the target rising to 80 per cent in 2030. Companies that fall short can face penalties, although the rules contain flexibilities allowing manufacturers to use credits and other mechanisms to meet their obligations.
The proposed change comes after carmakers argued that the current targets are putting pressure on manufacturers to offer discounts to encourage EV sales. The industry has warned that failing to adjust the rules could affect jobs and investment in UK manufacturing.
The problem is no longer simply getting people to buy EVs
The government's decision creates an awkward contrast. EV sales are growing, but ministers are considering lowering the regulatory pressure that is designed to push them higher.
The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit estimates that reducing the 2030 target to 50 per cent could result in up to 5.8 million fewer electric cars being sold. It has also warned that a weaker target could make the eventual phase-out of new petrol and diesel cars more difficult.
The government is still committed to ending the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 under its current plans, with some hybrids allowed to remain available for longer.
The review also considers extending existing flexibilities that allow manufacturers more room to meet their targets, including provisions covering plug-in hybrid vehicles.
For manufacturers, the changes could ease some of the pressure to increase EV sales at the pace currently required.
For the charging industry, however, a softer target raises a different concern: whether investors will still have enough certainty to keep putting money into Britain's charging network.
Charging companies have already invested heavily in infrastructure based on the expectation that the number of electric cars on British roads would continue rising rapidly. The industry's trade body ChargeUK has warned that slowing the transition could make future investment more difficult.
There is also a wider economic argument. The government has previously said the move to electric vehicles could reduce Britain's reliance on imported fossil fuels, while the Climate Change Committee has identified the switch to EVs as the biggest contributor to cutting UK carbon emissions over the next decade.
The timing has made the debate even sharper. The consultation was announced after Britain recorded its hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures reaching 38°C in parts of England amid drought and repeated heatwaves.
The government now has to balance two very different pressures: manufacturers want rules that reflect the market they are actually selling into, while climate and charging groups want certainty that Britain is still moving towards an electric transport system.
The consultation closes on October 23, after which ministers will have to decide whether Britain's 2030 EV target should remain at 80 per cent or take a considerably slower route.
