The Transport Secretary has held talks with the motoring industry regarding the future of the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate and the 2030 ban on petrol and diesel car sales.
The Department for Transport confirmed that Heidi Alexander had met with leading vehicle manufacturers to discuss the future of polluting vehicles on UK roads.
The Zero Emission Vehicle mandate works to ensure manufacturers have a minimum percentage of sales come from electric vehicles, with a 28 per cent target for the end of the year, before rising to 80 per cent for 2030.
A consultation about the ZEV mandate has been launched by the DfT to look at how brands can adapt to the new measures and whether it will have an impact on the industry.
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The Transport Secretary met with major car brands to discuss the 2030 car ban
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A DfT spokesperson said: “Last week, the Transport Secretary held a constructive roundtable with leading vehicle manufacturers as part of the consultation on the 2030 phase-out, as we continue to listen to and work closely with industry.
“January was another record month for electric cars, with sales of zero emission vehicles making up more than a fifth of the total car market, up 42 per cent from January last year.”
The spokesperson told The Independent that the early signs were “encouraging” with more than 382,000 new vehicles being sold for an impressive market share of 19.6 per cent last year.
During the same time period, more than 20,000 new electric vehicle charging points were installed, bringing the total across the UK to 73,699 and representing a year-on-year increase of 38 per cent.
Speaking in the House of Commons at the start of the year, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander outlined the future of petrol and diesel cars on UK roads to give consumers and drivers confidence.
She confirmed that no new petrol or diesel cars would be sold after 2030 and that all new cars and vans would need to be 100 per cent zero emission by 2035.
This has been backed by £6billion worth of private investment until the end of the decade and £2.3billion of Government support for manufacturers and drivers.
The spokesperson highlighted how the Government was “tapping into a multi-billion pound industry to make the UK a clean energy superpower and deliver our Plan for Change.”
The start of 2025 also saw a massive increase in the number of electric cars, with almost 30,000 new EVs being registered, marking a 41.6 per cent jump compared to last year.
According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), electric vehicles now have a market share of 21.3 per cent, cementing their status as the second-most popular fuel type behind petrol.
The Government’s ZEV mandate consultation is set to end on February 18, when the Department for Transport will analyse feedback and use the views to inform future policy.
Many manufacturers and industry experts will be hoping Labour makes a quick decision and sticks with it, given the criticism of the Conservatives for Rishi Sunak’s decision to delay the 2030 car ban deadline to 2035.
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Only zero emission vehicles will be on sale after 2035
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Speaking in September 2023, the former Prime Minister said drivers needed more time to make the switch to allow for electric vehicles to become cheaper and the charging network infrastructure to expand further.
He also noted that drivers should have the option of when to choose to ditch their polluting vehicle for an EV, rather than having the Government tell them when to switch.
