Weakening EV targets ‘will boost Chinese rivals’ – Daily Business

Automotive industry leaders are warning the government that weakening the switch to electric vehicles would slow UK manufacturing, jeopardise billions of investment and strengthen China’s competitive advantage.

Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer is said to have overruled the Energy Secretary Ed Miliband in order to slacken the target for hitting the electric switchover.

Sir Keir wants changes to the zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, which aims for all new cars to be fully electric by 2035. 

An intermediary target of 80% of new cars to be fully electric by 2030 is expected to fall to between 50 and 70%, with hybrids making up the remainder.

A new report published today argues that the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate has become one of Britain’s most successful market-based industrial policies. 

Rather than relying on government subsidies, the ZEV mandate uses competition to drive down costs, increase consumer choice and attract billions of pounds of private investment into Britain’s EV and charging sectors.

The report ‘A-Zev: The Road to Electric’ was produced by New AutoMotive, with contributions from across the industry, including Octopus Electric Vehicles, Electric Vehicles UK, ChargeUK, and Transport & Environment UK.

It finds that the ZEV Mandate has helped anchor more than £41 billion of investment committed to the UK automotive sector since 2020 and support an emerging UK battery supply chain worth more than £8.5bn across 14 active projects. The mandate has also driven the growth of the charging network.

Battery electric vehicles accounted for 23.4% of all new car registrations in 2025, with almost 470,000 sold, nearly double pre-mandate levels

Industry leaders are now warning that weakening the ZEV Mandate would put jobs, investment and Britain’s competitive position at risk just as the global race for electric vehicle manufacturing enters a decisive phase.

The average UK household spends £4,681 a year on transport. Switching to an electric vehicle can reduce that by around £900 annually through lower fuel and running costs.

At the same time, the two million electric vehicles already on UK roads are helping shield their owners from oil market volatility that has recently pushed crude oil prices above $100 a barrel.

The UK still spends around £43bn each year on oil imports, with transport accounting for almost 60% of that demand.

Ben Nelmes, CEO and founder of New AutoMotive, said: “The ZEV Mandate is one of the most successful industrial policies Britain has introduced in decades.

“It has helped deliver two million electric cars, supported more than £41 billion of investment commitments and accelerated competition between manufacturers. The question now is whether Britain builds on that success or puts it at risk. The worst signal the government could send to investors is uncertainty.”