Keir Starmer has overruled Ed Miliband and accepted the case for weakening the UK’s 2030 electric vehicle sales targets, siding with carmakers and unions who warned the existing rules would penalise manufacturers and destroy jobs. The prime minister is preparing to consult on lowering the mandated share of pure electric sales from 80% of all new cars by 2030 to just 50%, allowing hybrid vehicles — which combine a petrol engine with a small battery — to make up a far bigger proportion of the market. Government sources stressed that the 2030 ban on the sale of new purely petrol or diesel cars would still apply, meaning half of all new registrations could be hybrids. The 2035 deadline for phasing out hybrid cars entirely is understood to remain in place.
The decision marks the second time Labour has softened the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate since taking office. The mandate was first introduced by the Conservatives in 2023 to force carmakers to steadily increase electric car sales. Last year, ministers already allowed prolonged sales of plug-in hybrids, a move campaigners said would significantly drive up emissions. Just under 14% of new car sales are now of plug-in hybrid models. The government had previously committed to review the mandates again in 2027, but will now bring that forward after intense lobbying by manufacturers and the Unite union.
“Starmer overrules Miliband, proposing to cut 2030 pure EV sales target from 80% to 50% amid industry pressure.”
Electric vehicle sales have been rising steadily but have not kept pace with the government’s own targets. In May, battery electric cars accounted for 27.3% of new UK registrations, well below the 33% mandated for 2026 sales. Carmakers say they have been forced to discount heavily to try to boost demand, as production costs for EVs have not fallen as fast as anticipated. Under the ZEV mandate, manufacturers receive credits for selling electric cars but face fines if they miss the quotas.
The prime minister has backed the business secretary, Peter Kyle, in weakening the mandate rather than sticking to net zero targets as urged by the energy secretary, Ed Miliband. The move is intended to appease an industry that has warned of job losses and competitive disadvantage. With the revised rules, hybrids could account for half of new car sales by the end of the decade, buying time for manufacturers and the supply chain to adjust — but at the cost of slower progress toward full electrification.