UK weighs cutting its 2030 electric car sales target, Burnham says no decision yet

What is under consideration

The UK government is expected to reduce the share of new cars that manufacturers must sell as electric by 2030, a figure set at 80% under current rules. The BBC reported that a significant reduction is now expected, with the change possibly coming during the week of 9 November. The Guardian said Louise Haigh, the de facto deputy prime minister, is expected to agree to cut a target for EV sales by about a quarter. Other press reports put the new 2030 level at about 60%, and the decision could follow a Downing Street meeting on 11 November.

Under the rules now in force, petrol and diesel cars are due to be phased out for new sales by 2030, and all new cars must be zero emission by 2035. The mandate is the government's single biggest decarbonisation policy, and carmakers have long asked for 'urgent relief' from it.

Burnham and the government position

Andy Burnham, speaking during a visit to Watford, said no decision had yet been made and that the reports were speculation. He pointed to the consultation on the mandate, which concluded about a fortnight before 9 November, and said the responses were now being looked at.

“they're reports, they're speculation and no decision has been made at this point.”

Downing Street has insisted that no decision has been made. A government source told the BBC the government would take a 'pragmatic and balanced' approach to the issue. Burnham is due to attend the Cop 31 climate summit in Antalya, on Turkey's southern coast, beginning Monday, 9 November, his first Cop as prime minister.

Pressure from Labour MPs and campaigners

Green-focused Labour MPs have objected to a run of decisions since the summer. Catherine Fookes, the MP for Monmouthshire, said the government faces difficult choices in the coming months and that she wants the ZEV mandate kept and the Rosebank oilfield rejected.

“The government has some incredibly difficult decisions to make in the coming months and the prime minister will need to weigh up the consequences of each.”

The Guardian reported that Burnham's energy secretary, Miatta Fahnbulleh, approved the Jackdaw gasfield, and that chancellor John Healey announced cuts to green schemes such as heat pump subsidies. Environmental groups say any weakening of the 2030 target will threaten the UK's long-term electrification and climate goals.

Sales lag behind the target

Industry figures show the gap the government is responding to. The SMMT, the UK car industry association, said battery electric cars made up 26.6% of new registrations in the first ten months of 2026, against a full-year target of 33%. Nissan, BMW and Jaguar Land Rover are among the manufacturers that have invested in the transition, but demand has not grown at the pace the rules require.

First ten months of 202626.6%

Full-year 2026 target33%

First ten months of 2026

26.6 %

Full-year 2026 target

33 %

Data from the article text

The government is also reportedly considering extending flexibility mechanisms to 2034, although the full scope of that option was not set out in the reporting.