Government climate advisers have urged ministers not to dilute electric vehicle (EV) sales targets and the ban on new diesel and petrol vehicles from 2030.

Warnings include the risk that further concessions to manufacturers could jeopardise the UK’s climate ambitions, increase reliance on imported oil, and undermine investment in charging infrastructure.

Discussions heating up

In its latest progress report to Parliament, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) said it was “essential” that the Government does not weaken the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate following its ongoing review of the policy.

The ZEV mandate, introduced to accelerate the transition away from petrol and diesel vehicles, requires manufacturers to ensure a growing proportion of their new vehicle sales are zero-emission models.

The policy is a central pillar of the UK’s strategy to phase out the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030 and achieve legally binding net-zero emissions targets.

However, recent reports suggest ministers are considering easing sales targets amid mounting pressure from vehicle manufacturers and trade unions, which argue that consumer demand for EVs is not growing quickly enough to meet regulatory requirements.

Diluting success

The CCC warned that any further weakening of the mandate would “severely undermine” efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while leaving households exposed to the higher running costs associated with petrol and diesel vehicles.

It also argued that maintaining the existing framework is crucial for supporting EV adoption and preserving investor confidence in the UK’s rapidly expanding public charging network.

Vicky Read, chief executive of ChargeUK, backed the committee’s position, saying: “The Government’s own climate advisers are unequivocal: there must be no further weakening of the mandate.

“Doing so would not only threaten the country’s climate goals but leave more households worse off, paying high petrol and diesel prices.”

Read added that policy stability is essential for investors funding the rollout of charging infrastructure and welcomed the committee’s call for a review of public charging costs, including VAT and standing charge arrangements.

Changing habits

The CCC’s report comes as it warns that the UK is not electrifying transport and heating systems quickly enough.

While overall greenhouse gas emissions fell by 1.8% in 2025, the committee said stronger action is needed to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles, heat pumps and clean electricity.

According to the report, households remain vulnerable to fossil fuel price shocks, with recent increases in global energy prices disproportionately affecting those reliant on petrol vehicles and gas heating.

The committee estimates that a household combining an EV, heat pump, solar panels and a time-of-use electricity tariff could save around £1,200 annually, rising to £1,900 for some rural households.

Nigel Topping, chair of the Climate Change Committee, said: “The transition to clean electricity is not happening fast enough. Government support to accelerate the shift to electric vehicles and heat pumps is critical, not only to keep our climate targets within reach but to unlock savings.”

Incentivising buyers

However, the automotive industry has challenged some of the committee’s assumptions.

Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), agreed that transport electrification is essential but argued that the pace of change must reflect market realities.

“The mandate compels supply, but it cannot compel demand,” he said.

Despite significant manufacturer investment, incentives, and discounting, Hawes said EV uptake remains below expectations and warned that maintaining increasingly ambitious sales targets without addressing barriers such as charging infrastructure, high electricity costs, and weak consumer demand risks damaging production, jobs, and future investment.

While both sides agree on the need to decarbonise road transport, the debate highlights growing tensions between climate policy ambitions and the practical challenges facing the automotive sector as the UK accelerates towards its 2030 phase-out of new petrol and diesel vehicles.