The UK government is considering lowering its 2030 electric vehicle (EV) sales target from 80% to as little as 50%, following a similar move by Canada to scrap its EV sales mandate.
According to the Department for Transport, a consultation that closed on October 23 presented three options for reducing the country’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate.
The options would lower the 2030 target for new passenger cars to 70%, 60%, or 50%, compared to the current requirement of 80%.
Under the most aggressive reduction, the target would increase to 60% in 2031 and 70% in 2032, while retaining the requirement for all new cars to be zero emission by 2035.
The government has not made a decision on whether to change the mandate, which automakers have been lobbying to weaken (via The Guardian).
The potential changes come despite EVs accounting for approximately 28% of new car sales in the UK in September, with electrified vehicles exceeding 50% when hybrids are included.
However, an analysis by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) suggests reducing the 2030 target to 50% could result in an additional 147 megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.
Meanwhile, Canada is pursuing its own regulatory changes, with Ottawa proposing to repeal the Electric Vehicle Availability Standard, which currently calls for 60% ZEV availability by 2030.
The proposed repeal remains under consultation until October 29, while Ottawa and Ontario recently agreed to freeze vehicle emissions standards at their 2026 level through the 2029 model year.
In the UK, a government spokesperson confirmed no decisions have been made, adding that the country remains committed to phasing out new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 and reaching fully zero emission new vehicle sales by 2035.
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