Overview
- The Conservative Party set out plans to abolish the zero‑emission vehicle mandate and cancel the 2030 prohibition on new petrol and diesel cars.
- The current mandate requires about 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans to be zero‑emission by 2030, rising to 100% by 2035.
- The Conservatives say they would remove non‑R&D subsidies linked to the mandate, a move they claim would save £3.8bn, while retaining funding for charging infrastructure.
- The Labour government says it remains committed to phasing out sales of new non‑zero‑emission cars and vans by 2035, with officials pointing to rising EV uptake and ongoing investment support.
- Critics including Greenpeace warn the Tory plan would inject uncertainty, risk jobs and undermine UK manufacturing, while party figures argue current rules burden families and cite potential fines of up to £14,000 per non‑compliant vehicle under existing targets; any changes depend on a future election not due until 2029.