Like all governments that have enacted pro-EV policies, the UK government is under constant pressure from automakers and other vested interests to water those policies down. The UK has enacted a ZEV Mandate, which stipulates (as the government’s official web site describes it) that “new petrol and diesel cars will be phased out by 2030 and all new cars and vans will need to be fully zero-emission by 2035.”
Over the past few months, Labour Party pols have been hinting that they might be open to delaying or otherwise relaxing the terms of the mandate, and auto industry pundits have been speculating about which way the lion will jump.
Now the government has opened an official “consultation” on the mandate, asking “vehicle manufacturers, suppliers, charge point operators, dealers, consumers and communities” for their views on “whether the existing annual targets for manufacturers remain appropriate.”
Naturally, the government is framing the “consultation” as a positive thing. “It’s right we keep targets under review to ensure they’re practical and back British industry,” said Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander. “The end goal hasn’t changed, but we need to take business with us on the journey and that’s exactly what we’re doing today by making sure industry has the chance to shape how we get there…the UK is reviewing targets to ensure they remain pro-business and grounded in the real world.”
In the real world—as Ms. Alexander and her colleagues correctly point out—electrification is proceeding at a respectable pace. Over 2 million EVs are now registered on UK roads, and electrified vehicles have reached a market share of over 25%. And to be fair, the UK government has done more to promote EV adoption than some others we could name. According to the gov’s latest figures, it has invested £7.5 billion in several pro-EV programs, including DRIVE35, which provides R&D funding for the UK auto industry, and the Electric Car Grant, which offers EV buyers purchase incentives of up to £3,750.
The problem in the real world isn’t that people aren’t buying EVs—rather, it’s that they’re mostly buying Chinese EVs, which are by all accounts more technically advanced and cheaper than anything “Western” automakers have to offer. If the goal is to support UK industry, wouldn’t it make sense to keep the pressure on UK companies to innovate so that they have a chance of catching up to the Chinese?
The legacy auto industry seems to inhabit a somewhat different real world—one in which they can make the transition to electrification gradually, preserving profits from their existing vehicles, and not being forced to write off stranded investments in ICE production.
“This consultation is about listening to industry, examining the evidence and making sure the mandate continues supporting investment, innovation and competitiveness, so Britain’s car sector can thrive,” said Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds.
“With the ZEV Mandate conceived under vastly different conditions, this welcome review is a timely opportunity to adjust the transition so it works for all,” said Mike Hawes, Chief Executive of the UK’s Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT). “That means a commercially sustainable transition which supports UK competitiveness, investment and jobs whilst delivering greater choice and affordability for motorists.”
The ZEV Mandate review consultation is open until 23 October 2026. Interested parties can respond to a survey, which basically asks if the (rather complex) terms of the existing mandate should be preserved, or if they should be altered. We encourage you, dear readers, to have your say.
Source: Gov.uk
