All new cars to be zero-emission from 2035: consultation on EV transition open

• UK motor industry is being consulted on the best way to implement upcoming ban
• Labour promised to restore the 2030 ban in its election manifesto
• Date had previously been shifted back to 2035
• Government warned that demand for EVs is not strong enough to hit targets
• Consultation part of plans to make living with an EV easier
• Hybrids will continue to to be sold until 2035

The UK motor industry is being consulted on how to handle the upcoming ban on new petrol and diesel-powered cars in 2030. It’s been a contentious subject over the past couple of years, with a lot of confusion over the dates and the exact regulations.

The previous government originally set out a 2030 deadline, before pushing that back to 2035. The Labour government has since promised to bring it back to 2030, however hybrid vehicles will be exempt for a further five years.

Motor industry to have its say

The consultation now asks automotive and charging industries to give their views on how to deliver this pledge in the smoothest way possible, proposing in particular updates to the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate. This sets out the percentage of a manufacturer’s sales which are required to be zero emission vehicles, up to 2030.

For 2024, that figure was 22%, with manufacturers facing a hefty fine for every vehicle they sell contrary to that target, though they can ‘buy’ credits from manufacturers which have sold vehicles in excess of that number, or ‘borrow’ from upcoming years.

Part of the consultation procedure is deciding which hybrid vehicles can be sold alongside pure electric models from 2030. Setting this out would provide welcome clarity on whether self-charging, plug-in or range-extender hybrid vehicles will remain on sale.

Industry leaders have already warned the government that, without government intervention, the new car market would be unlikely to transition on its own through natural supply and demand. Lisa Brankin, chair and managing director of Ford UK, said: “The one thing we really need is government-backed incentives to urgently boost the uptake of electric vehicles.

Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said that the consultation on the 2030 end date and the ZEV mandate were both ‘critical issues’ for an industry that’s trying to ‘decarbonise ahead of natural market demand.’

“Aside from the billions invested in new technologies and products,” said Hawes, “[the ZEV mandate] has cost manufacturers in excess of £4 billion in discounting in the UK last year alone. This is unsustainable and, with the 2025 market looking under even greater pressure, it is imperative we get an urgent resolution.”

Transport secretary Heidi Alexander supported the shift to EVs, also pointing out figures that show more than 72,000 public charging points are now available, and that costs for buying an electric car are coming down with one in three used models now under £20,000.

She said: “Employing 152,000 people and adding £19 billion to our economy, the UK’s automotive industry is a huge asset to our nation — and the transition to electric is an unprecedented opportunity to attract investment, harness British innovation, and deliver growth for generations to come.

“Yet over the last few years, our automotive industry has been stifled by a lack of certainty and direction. This government will change that.

“Drivers are already embracing EVs faster than ever, with one in four new cars sold in November electric. Today’s measures will help us capitalise on the clean energy transition to support thousands of jobs, make the UK a clean energy superpower, and rebuild Britain.”

Zero-emission cars only from 2035, government confirms

The ban on new cars powered solely by petrol or diesel is set for 2030, however hybrid cars will continue to be sold beyond this date. The government has also promised that all new models sold after 2035 will have to be zero emission.

A DfT spokesperson told Carwow: “We’re committed to delivering greener transport by supporting the transition to electric vehicles.

“This includes phasing out the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 and accelerating the rollout of charge points. We will set out more details in due course.”

SEE Hybrid cars exempt from UK’s 2030 petrol and diesel ban

Response to reinstatement of 2030 ban

The industry body representing car makers and car traders said ultimately it will be consumers who will determine the pace of the switch to electric cars.

Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) told Carwow: “The automotive industry is engaging with the new government on its proposals for an industrial strategy as well as measures to support the decarbonisation of road transport.

“As was set out in Labour’s Automotive Sector Plan published last Autumn, phasing out the sale of new petrol and diesel cars will be central to this but must be managed in such a way as to support consumers, industry and other stakeholders – such as infrastructure providers – all of whom have a role to play.

“The automotive sector remains committed to this goal, as evidenced by the billions invested in new technologies, facilities and products, but it is consumer confidence and demand that will ultimately determine the pace of the transition.”

The Department for Transport also reiterated its support for accelerating the roll out of charge points. Antoine Picron, senior policy manager for ChargePoint reiterated the importance of a good charging infrastructure. He told Carwow: “We believe transitioning to an EV is one of the single biggest behavioural changes drivers can make to reduce carbon emissions and ensure the UK achieves its net zero ambitions, as well as support the shift to cleaner transportation.”

2030 petrol and diesel ban, the back and forth story so far

The original announcement to introduce the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars was made by Boris Johnson’s Conservative government in November 2020.

It was part of a package aiming to increase access to electric cars and promote ‘a green economic recovery’.

However, in September 2023, the then Conservative prime minister, Rishi Sunak, postponed the deadline from 2030 to 2035 saying the original ban would: “impose unacceptable costs on hard-pressed British families”, and that the government could “adopt a more pragmatic, proportionate and realistic approach to meeting net zero which eases the burden on working people”.

The reinstatement of the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars was a Labour commitment in its 2024 General Election manifesto.

There was little detail in the manifesto on how and when the ban would be phased in. However Jonathan Reynolds, at the time Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Industrial Strategy, gave more detail in the Party’s automotive plan published last October: “The decision to water down the 2030 phase out of petrol and diesel vehicles is a huge setback for manufacturers who will have spent enormous amounts of money and time on the basis of these targets.”

The plan also said pushing back the date of the phase out would ultimately raise costs for British families by “billions of pounds”, because “electric vehicles have cheaper lifetime costs than petrol cars, and by 2030 are expected to have lower upfront costs.

The 2030 ban was one of six commitments the Labour party made ahead of the 2024 general election alongside fixing 1 million potholes, investigating car insurance prices, expanding the EV charging network, developing clear electric car battery standards and to provide funding for gigafactories.

In another surprise twist it was then announced in September last year that hybrid cars would continue to be sold beyond 2030, although it wasn’t made clear what type of hybrids would be exempt. It’s highly likely that plug-in hybrids will dodge the ban, however the future of self-charging and mild hybrids is currently unclear. This is one of the things this consultation should clear up.

Carwow manifesto

Ahead of the 2024 General Election, the Carwow Group set out the 10 steps the new government needed to take to help motorists. While we didn’t specifically call for a reintroduction of the 2030 ban on petrol and diesel cars, we laid out plans on how the government could encourage the switch to electric cars.

Find out more in the Future of Motoring Manifesto.