UK Eases Electric Vehicle Mandate While Reaffirming 2030 Petrol and Diesel Car Ban
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has unveiled a revised plan to support the UK car industry in its shift to electric vehicles (EVs), promising more flexibility under the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate and confirming key phase-out dates for petrol and diesel cars.
Under the updated approach, the sale of new petrol and diesel cars will still end in 2030, but hybrids will be allowed until 2035. Small-volume manufacturers will be exempt from the mandate altogether. Crucially, the government is giving carmakers greater leeway in how they meet annual targets, easing the pressure in the lead-up to the final phase-out.
“I am determined to back British brilliance,” said Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “This will help ensure home-grown firms can export British cars built by British workers around the world and the industry can look forward with confidence, as well as back with pride.”
Key Policy Changes
Flexible Targets: Manufacturers will have more freedom to decide how they reach the ZEV mandate targets before 2030, allowing for a higher share of petrol and diesel sales in the early years and more EVs in later years when consumer demand is expected to rise.
Hybrid Sales Extended: Hybrid vehicles such as the Toyota Prius and Nissan e-Power can continue to be sold until 2035.
Support for Small Firms: Low-volume carmakers will be exempt from the mandate altogether.
Funding & Infrastructure: The government is investing £2.3 billion in boosting zero-emission vehicle manufacturing and EV charging infrastructure. Officials say a new charge-point is being installed every 30 minutes on average.
Tax Incentives: Tax breaks worth hundreds of millions of pounds are being maintained to help consumers make the switch to electric.
A full Industrial Strategy outlining long-term support for UK manufacturing is set to be released later this spring.
How It Compares Globally
The UK remains among the frontrunners in setting ambitious targets for ending new petrol and diesel car sales, with a 2030 deadline still ahead of many major economies. However, the decision to allow hybrid sales until 2035 brings the UK more in line with the European Union, which has adopted a similar phase-out date for internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. In the U.S., California and several other states have set 2035 targets, though federal policy is less aggressive.
Countries like Norway, which has led the world in EV adoption, are aiming to end new petrol and diesel sales as early as 2025, with over 80% of new cars sold already being fully electric.
While the UK’s updated mandate reflects a more flexible approach, it still keeps the country firmly on track toward decarbonising road transport in step with other global leaders.
