The Conservatives have announced proposals to end the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars and cut the legal requirement on car manufacturers to sell electric vehicles.
A Conservative government would abolish the zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, ending the legal requirement for manufacturers to sell a fixed rising percentage of zero-emission vehicles each year – 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans by 2030, increasing to 100% by 2035. It would also completely end the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars.
A future Conservative government would also scrap all of the non-research and development subsidies associated with the ZEV mandate to “relieve manufacturers of more costly regulatory obligations”, which the party estimates would save £3.8bn over the next decade. Ministers would retain infrastructure funding to continue developing the electric vehicle market.
Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the Conservative party, said: “Labour’s rush to net zero is having a disastrous effect on the UK car industry. The Conservatives will ensure that we protect the environment, but we will do so without forcing families to bear the brunt of the costs, and forcing carmakers to meet deadlines that don’t reflect consumer demand.
“By scrapping the ZEV mandate and the ban on petrol cars, we are putting fairness and common sense back into the system and saving money for taxpayers. Britain succeeds when we back business and support innovation – that’s our plan for a stronger economy.”
Writing in the Telegraph, Badenoch said she was inspired by the Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, and her “commonsense approach to net zero”, which required that “any push to tackle carbon emissions must not degrade Italy’s economy”.
The previous Conservative government delayed the ban on new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 to 2035 in 2023. However, Labour reinstated the ban and will require every new car to be zero-emission by 2035, on the grounds that the timeline will provide certainty to manufacturers and consumers.
The ZEV mandate is a result of the Climate Change Act and its 2050 net zero duty, which the Conservatives have pledged to repeal.
Doug Parr, the Greenpeace UK policy director, said: “Nothing the Tories suggest is likely to take effect before 2029, one year from when the ban takes effect. A U-turn now would create chaos after years of preparation for electric cars, wasting effort, risking jobs and leaving Britain stuck in reverse while the rest of the world accelerates towards cleaner, cheaper cars.
“If ever a political party wanted to sow confusion and uncertainty into one of Britain’s most important manufacturing industries, this is how you do it. It’s the opposite of what’s needed to cut pollution, lower running costs for drivers and secure long term jobs.
“Chinese electric vehicles will soon be better and cheaper than anything coming out of Europe or the UK. A phaseout date to incentivise UK manufacturing has to be part of the response. Scrapping rules would be a total disaster. It would undermine investment and leave manufacturers facing uncertainty in a rapidly changing global market. The Tories introduced this policy, and they should leave well alone.”
A government spokesperson said: “We remain committed to phasing out all new non-zero emission car and van sales by 2035. More drivers than ever are choosing electric, and November saw another month of increased sales with EV’s accounting for one in four cars sold.
“We’re investing over £7.5bn to support drivers and manufacturers make the switch to zero emission. This includes £4bn investment to back British manufacturing and R&D, create jobs and drive growth in the sector.”
“Our electric car grant is making it cheaper than ever to choose an EV, with over 40,000 drivers saving up to £3,750 since launch, backed by an extra £1.3bn announced at the autumn budget.”
