UK opens consultation on route to 2030 petrol-car phase-out

The UK Government has opened a consultation on the zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, asking manufacturers, suppliers, charge-point operators, dealers, consumers and communities for views on the route to ending sales of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030.

The consultation also covers the government’s stated goal that all new cars and vans should be zero emission by 2035. It asks whether the existing annual targets for manufacturers remain appropriate, with the source saying the review fulfils a commitment to revisit the mandate by 2027.

The government says more than one in four new cars sold in July were electric, with EV sales up 45% on the same month a year earlier and more than two million electric vehicles registered on UK roads. It says manufacturers are currently on track to meet their 2025 targets, while pointing to supply-chain disruption and tariff and trade uncertainty as factors in the review.

Its Electric Car Grant offers up to £3,750 off a new EV, and the government says it has helped more than 160,000 drivers since launching last July. It also says drivers charging at home can save around £1,400 a year in running costs, though individual costs and savings will vary.

The announcement says £7.5 billion is being invested to grow the market, including £4 billion for DRIVE35 projects and £3.5 billion for vehicle grants and charging infrastructure. It also cites £600 million for charge points, alongside £400 million already being used to deliver more than 100,000 additional public chargers across the UK.

The consultation is due to run until 23 October 2026 and, according to the government, has been launched by the UK and devolved governments.

What this means for Wales

For drivers, dealers, charge-point operators and automotive businesses in Wales, the review is a chance to examine the practical route to the UK-wide new-car and van targets. The consultation does not itself change the stated 2030 or 2035 milestones; its outcome and any changes to annual targets remain to be decided.