Sir Keir Starmer is poised to cut the mandatory electric vehicle sales target from 80% to 50% by the end of the decade, in a bitter blow to Ed Miliband’s net zero mission. The Prime Minister, facing intense pressure from carmakers and the Unite union, will slow the switch to electric motors — a move that risks making some EVs more expensive as manufacturers are likely to dial back the heavy discounts they used to shift stock.
The zero emission vehicle mandate, introduced by Boris Johnson in 2020 and enforced from last year, required 80% of new car sales to be all-electric by 2030, when a ban on new petrol and diesel sales was due to take effect. But bosses at motoring firms had warned that sticking to the target would mean taking their investments elsewhere. Unite union boss Sharon Graham called the U-turn “a huge victory” and said the government had “listened to the concerns of Unite and is now set to act decisively to protect the jobs of UK automotive workers.” She added: “As Unite had said, the failure to act would have been an act of self-harm to a sector which is a jewel in the crown of UK manufacturing.”
“Keir Starmer will cut electric vehicle sales targets from 80% to 50% by 2030, following industry pressure.”
The decision, first reported by The Sunday Times, will require backing from the devolved administrations and will be subject to a consultation. It undercuts Miliband, the Energy Secretary, who has previously said it was “very important” that the government bolster its resolve for the EV transition. But the watering down is likely to increase the cost of some electric models, according to industry sources, because manufacturers had been discounting heavily to meet the original target. With a lower threshold, those discounts may vanish.
Graham urged the government to swiftly conclude the consultation and implement its findings “to provide the sector and workers with much needed certainty.” The move follows warnings that the mandate risked crippling Britain’s automotive industry, and comes as Chinese car giant scraps a UK factory over energy costs despite huge expansion.