The UK government has said no decision has been made on cutting its 2030 electric vehicle sales target, after days of reports that ministers were preparing to lower the requirement from 80% of new car sales to about 60%, according to statements and reports on Tuesday.
The Guardian reported on November 8, citing government sources, that ministers were likely to cut the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate for 2030 to about 60% and extend compliance flexibilities until 2034. But Downing Street says no decision has been taken, and a written parliamentary answer on November 9 confirmed the position: “No policy decisions have been made yet.”
According to The Guardian, the plan will be finalised after a Downing Street meeting on Wednesday, November 11. The government has committed £7.5 billion through 2035 to support the transition, and has reaffirmed its commitments to phase out new cars relying solely on petrol or diesel by 2030 and move to zero-emission new car and van sales by 2035.
Carmakers are missing the targets already
The debate is driven by sales figures that show the industry falling well short of the mandate. Battery electric cars made up 26.6% of new registrations from January to October 2026, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), against a 33% requirement for this year. In October, 152,730 new cars were registered, up 5.4%, in the market’s 11th consecutive monthly improvement — but electric sales still lag the legal schedule.
In total, 503,805 battery-electric cars were registered in the first ten months of 2026, up 30.4% on a year ago, according to the SMMT. Yet the industry expects the electric share to reach only 27.2% this year against the 33% target, and the gap is forecast to widen: a 32% share is expected next year against a 38% target, and by 2028 the share is expected to reach 37.5% against a required 52%.
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said manufacturers had spent billions on discounts, low and 0% finance, deposit contributions and subsidised charging to lift sales beyond underlying demand. “The industry and government are spending billions to help drivers switch, but that support cannot be sustained indefinitely with the gap to mandated targets set to more than double by 2028,” he said, according to reports.
What a cut to 60% would change
Under current law, the mandate climbs from 33% in 2026 to 38% in 2027, 52% in 2028, 66% in 2029 and 80% in 2030, before reaching 100% in 2035. The consultation that ran from August 14 to October 23 offered options to keep 80% or reduce it to 70%, 60% or 50%, and any change would require amending the Vehicle Emissions Trading Schemes Order. The penalty for each car over target is £12,000, according to the Department for Transport consultation.
The government says it aims to publish its formal response to the consultation by the end of 2026, with any changes taking effect from the 2027 compliance year. Until that response is published, the 80% figure remains the rule, not 60%.
Sources: The Guardian (via reports), SMMT (via reports), UK Parliament written answers, Kalkine, Cartoq
