UK to Cut 2030 EV Sales Target to 50% Amid Industry
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- UK government is expected to dilute the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, cutting the pure EV share of car sales by 2030 from 80% to 50%, following heavy lobbying by carmakers and the Unite union
- Labour had already weakened the mandate in 2024 by introducing "flexibilities" that allow more plug-in hybrid (PHEV) sales; PHEVs emit roughly 135g CO2/km compared with zero direct emissions from battery EVs
- Octopus Energy CEO Greg Jackson accused ministers of choosing "short-termist incumbent lobbying instead of the long-term future of industry," saying the flip-flop undermines investor confidence in UK policy
- ChargeUK CEO Vicky Read called the proposal "astonishing" and warned it could cost tens of thousands of jobs, saying charging operators have ploughed billions into infrastructure on the basis of the existing policy
- Unite general secretary Sharon Graham broke with the charging industry, calling the dilution "a huge victory" that would "protect the jobs of UK automotive workers"
- T&E UK director Anna Krajinska argued that letting more hybrids onto UK roads would let Chinese brands BYD and Chery (Omoda, Jaecoo) — each already selling roughly 30,000 cars in the UK this year — capture share at the expense of domestic manufacturing
- Polestar UK MD Matt Galvin said weakening the target would let carmakers "decelerate development of EVs" rather than accelerate, directly hitting the Chinese-owned EV-only brand's UK prospects
Why it matters: Charging operators and EV-only brands say a diluted mandate jeopardises billions in infrastructure investment and could cost tens of thousands of UK jobs, while T&E argues the rollback would let Chinese rivals BYD and Chery — already selling ~30,000 UK cars each this year — overtake domestic manufacturers still leaning on hybrids.
