Carmakers argued that keeping electric car sales rules unchanged could harm British jobs and lead to significant financial losses, as per documents revealing an effort to slow down the transition from fossil fuels. BMW, Jaguar Land Rover, Nissan, and Toyota submitted responses to proposed rule changes to the government, which were obtained by Fast Charge, an electric car newsletter, and shared with the Guardian.
Jaguar Land Rover warned that if the rules remain unchanged, it would negatively affect UK producers’ ability to invest in vehicle lines. The previous Conservative government had introduced rules known as the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, requiring carmakers to increase their sales of electric cars annually or face hefty fines.
Electric car sales have surged, making up over a fifth of the market in July, and carmakers met last year’s targets. However, they previously overestimated the demand for battery vehicles, leading to price cuts to attract buyers, which they argue is unsustainable.
After lobbying, the Labour government introduced “flexibilities” to the rules to allow more petrol car sales. Consultation responses revealed detailed arguments made by carmakers for leniency, despite warnings from the government’s climate adviser that the changes could raise UK carbon emissions.
BMW suggested that the ZEV mandate was more radical than equivalent rules in the EU or California, arguing that Brexit has already made the UK a more challenging place for manufacturing. Toyota, which focuses on hybrid cars, indicated that penalties could amount to hundreds of millions of pounds for individual manufacturers, risking employment and investment across the industry. Nissan advocated for more flexibilities, arguing that high costs could divert funds from research and
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/aug/24/uk-carmakers-ev-sales-rules-zev-mandate
