The UK government this week opened a consultation on moving to zero emission vehicles (ZEVs), seeking views from the industry on how to deliver a 2030 end date for sales of new gasoline and diesel-fuelled cars.
The consultation "is focused on how, not if, we reach the 2030 target", and is largely technical in scope, the government said. "All new cars and vans will need to be 100pc zero emission by 2035. And no new petrol or diesel cars will be sold after 2030," it added.
The consultation seeks views "on the treatment of new cars and vans from 2030 that are not required to be zero emission under the current ZEV mandate targets", the government said. It has invited industry responses on a technological definition, which would set out which cars are permitted by how the vehicle is powered. The consultation also seeks views on measures to support demand for ZEVs.
The country's ZEV mandate came into force in January. Manufacturers will be required to produce a certain percentage of zero emission new cars and vans — 22pc in 2024 and rising by 5-6 percentage points over each of the following three years to 38pc in 2027. The target will then rise more rapidly to 2030, to hit 80pc for new cars and 70pc for new vans in England, Wales and Scotland.
The government, which took power in July, committed in its manifesto to restore the 2030 phase-out date for sales of new gasoline and diesel-fuelled cars. The UK government in November 2020, under former prime minister Boris Johnson, announced that sales of new gasoline and diesel-fuelled cars would end by 2030. But this was then pushed back to 2035 by then-prime minister Rishi Sunak in September 2023.
The auto sector expressed concern at the pushback. But the current government reiterated its commitment to policy clarity. "Vehicle manufacturers representing 67pc of the UK's new car market have already committed to being fully zero emission by 2030", the government said.
UK automotive trade association SMMT welcomed the consultation. "It is imperative we get an urgent resolution, with a clear intent to adapt the regulation to support delivery, backed by bold incentives to stimulate demand", it said.
The UK has a legally binding target of net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. The country halved its emissions between 1990 and 2022, but much of this reduction was from closing down coal-fired power. Domestic transport has been the UK's largest emitting sector for several years, and accounted for 28pc of GHGs in 2022.
The consultation closes on 18 February.
