EV sales targets U-turn could see ZEV mandate weakened

The number of all-electric vehicle sales needed under the ZEV mandate is set to be reduced, thanks to a dramatic intervention from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, according to reports. 

Currently 80 per cent of all new cars sold in the UK need to be all-electric by 2030. However, a report from The Sunday Times has said Starmer has responded to calls from the automotive industry to drastically reduce this figure to 50 per cent. A confirmed figure is expected to be announced by the Government in the coming weeks. 

Under the current ZEV mandate, the percentage of new-car sales that need to be EVs increases each year, with 33 per cent in 2026, 38 per cent in 2027, 52 per cent in 2027 and 66 per cent in 2029. 

The target in 2025 was 28 per cent, and the automotive sector missed this by 4.6 per cent. This year UK carmakers are on course to sell eight per cent less than the target, with fines set for approximately £11,000 per vehicle. 

This proposed change to the ZEV mandate comes after plenty of indecision regarding the sales of petrol, diesel and EVs from the Government in recent years. The banning of new petrol and diesel vehicle sales by 2030 was first announced by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2020, however, this was pushed back to 2035 by Rishi Sunak when he was premier. 

Sharon Graham, the general secretary of trade union Unite, welcomed a reduction in ZEV mandate targets. “This is a huge victory,” she said. “UK car workers have been increasingly fearful of their jobs.

“The Government at the highest level has listened to the concerns of Unite and is now set to act decisively to protect the jobs of UK automotive workers.” 

Not everyone is celebrating the possible dilution of the ZEV mandate, however. Speaking a few days before the report’s publication, Dominic Phinn, head of transport at Climate Group, said: “The UK Government should resist any calls to weaken the policy or bring forward its planned review, and instead focus on removing the barriers that are actually slowing the transition.”

While the Government has attempted to accelerate EV sales through the Electric Car Grant introduced last year, Phinn added factors such as public charging costs and the UK’s charging network had to be addressed in order to grow EV sales. 

An official announcement from the Government on potential ZEV mandate changes is expected in the coming weeks. 

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