Key facts
- UK government plans to reduce the 2030 electric vehicle sales target from 80% to 50%.
- The move follows lobbying from car manufacturers and the Unite union.
- The charging industry has invested billions in infrastructure based on previous targets.
- Critics warn the change will increase carbon emissions and harm the UK's automotive sector.
- Plug-in hybrids, which would benefit from the change, produce significantly more CO2 than EVs.
The UK government is reportedly planning to significantly weaken the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate, a move that has ignited a strong backlash from the electric vehicle (EV) industry and environmental advocates. Sources suggest the target for pure electric car sales by 2030 could be reduced from 80% to 50%. This follows a previous dilution of the mandate last year, which introduced 'flexibilities' allowing for a greater proportion of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) to be sold.
Industry leaders argue that this proposed change represents a short-sighted approach that jeopardizes long-term investment and economic prosperity. Greg Jackson, CEO of Octopus Energy, criticized the government for prioritizing "short-termist incumbent lobbying instead of the long-term future of industry," emphasizing that the global trend is away from fossil fuels. Vicky Read, CEO of ChargeUK, stated that the charging sector has invested billions based on the original policy and that altering the targets would be "self-harm" for the country, potentially costing tens of thousands of jobs.
Environmental groups like T&E warn that a slower transition to EVs will lead to millions more petrol cars on the road and significantly higher carbon emissions. Anna Krajinska, UK director at T&E, argued that allowing more PHEVs could ultimately disadvantage the UK automotive sector by opening the door to Chinese manufacturers, suggesting that only a rapid shift to battery electric vehicles can secure the future of UK manufacturing. She called for unchanged targets and a robust industrial policy.
Conversely, the Unite union, representing automotive workers, hailed the proposed changes as a "huge victory" that would protect jobs. However, Polestar's UK managing director, Matt Galvin, expressed concern that weakening the targets would prompt manufacturers to decelerate EV development when acceleration is needed, potentially hindering investment and product offerings.