UK Weighs Cutting Electric Car Target to About 60% by 2030

Key Facts

The UK government is considering lowering the electric car target under its zero-emission vehicle mandate to about 60% of new car sales by 2030, The Guardian reported on November 8, citing government sources. The plan could include extending the flexibility available to companies to meet the rules through 2034, with the government expected to settle its plans at a meeting in Downing Street on the Wednesday after the report. But a government spokesperson said the government was "united in its commitment to the zero-emission vehicle mandate" and that "no decisions have been taken" on the review. The review puts the path for car sales under pressure from industry, while the proposal remains under discussion. The Guardian said Louise Haigh is expected to finalize the plan, with the possibility that she will agree to a target of about 60%.

The debate centers on the mandate’s target and compliance flexibility, not on an announcement that the government’s deadline to end sales of new cars powered exclusively by petrol and diesel in 2030 has been scrapped. A government spokesperson said the review would not change its commitment to ending those sales by the deadline. The government has also retained its target for all new car and van sales to be zero-emission by 2035. The potential reduction therefore concerns the share of electric cars required under the 2030 mandate, while the broader targets remain stated policy. This means the expected decision covers how the path is implemented and the flexibility granted to companies, according to government and press coverage.

Car companies’ pressure stems from the gap between actual demand and binding targets; the chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said "the gap between demand and mandatory targets continues to widen." He called for a meaningful change in course and broader regulatory flexibility. The association’s data show that battery electric car registrations reached 48,858 in October, up 32.7% year on year. Their share rose to 32% of registrations for the month, compared with 25.4% in October 2025. Despite growth in registrations and market share, the gap between market sales and mandate requirements is pressuring companies to seek changes to compliance terms, according to the association.

Earlier figures show electric cars had surpassed a quarter of new cars sold in the UK by the time the government launched its review on August 14, with July sales rising 45% compared with the same month a year earlier. The Department for Transport said at the time that more than two million electric cars were registered on the country’s roads. The government said the review aims to keep targets practical and supportive of industry amid supply-chain disruption and uncertainty around trade and tariffs. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders also said companies had committed £14.3 billion to electric car manufacturing in the UK since 2020. It added that the market offers more than 180 battery electric models, as supply and investment expand alongside the review of sales requirements.

The current review is part of a broader consultation process on the transition to zero-emission vehicles. The government received 605 responses to an earlier consultation on ending sales of new cars powered exclusively by internal combustion engines and supporting the transition. Its response at the time concluded that maintaining the target pathways faced the challenge of lower-than-expected demand. The assessment also said the package proposed at the time would increase emissions compared with the baseline, although some first-phase changes would deliver greater savings. The new review covers annual target pathways, compliance flexibility and alternative options. The Department for Transport said evidence from the consultation could be used in future amendments to the regulatory order governing vehicle emissions trading.

The government’s announcement remains the next milestone in the mandate process; The Guardian expected ministers to meet in Downing Street on the Wednesday after its November 8 report, with Haigh to finalize the plan afterward. The newspaper cited government sources as saying a target of about 60% for 2030 and an extension of flexibility through 2034 were possible, while the government spokesperson said no decision had been made. The association said the widening gap between demand and targets called for a meaningful change and broader flexibility, while the government reaffirmed its commitment to ending sales of new cars powered exclusively by petrol and diesel by 2030. The goal of making all new car and van sales zero-emission by 2035 also remains part of the government’s stated position. The meeting’s outcome will determine whether the government changes the 2030 target and compliance mechanisms or keeps the current path unchanged.