The UK government launched an eight-week public consultation in December 2024 on proposals to support the transition to zero emission vehicles, the Department for Transport has said1. The consultation ran alongside the government's commitment to end the sale of new cars powered solely by internal combustion engines from 2030, with all new cars and vans fully zero emission by 20351.
The consultation received 605 responses in total, of which 411 came from private individuals and the remainder from organisations including vehicle manufacturers, chargepoint operators, rental and leasing firms, insurers, investors, local authorities, NGOs, political parties, trade associations and health associations1. Engagement included ministerial roundtables with large and smaller vehicle manufacturers and charging infrastructure stakeholders, and contact with manufacturers accounting for 98% of new car sales and 96.8% of new van sales1.
The government's response confirms that hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) will be permitted alongside ZEVs in the 2030 to 2035 period1. It sets a non-ZEV fleet average CO2 cap for new cars sold post-2030, requiring a 10% reduction against the 2021 baseline, with no vehicle level cap1. For vans, there is no technology definition for new non-zero emission models after 2030, so sales of new ICE, HEV and PHEV vans may continue until 2035, with a fleet average CO2 cap and no further required improvement against the 2021 baseline1. Micro vehicle manufacturers, small vehicle manufacturers and special purpose and kit vehicles are exempt from the requirement to end sales of pure ICE cars by 2030, though all new cars and vans must be zero emission by 20351.
On the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate, the government will reduce existing compliance payments to £12,000 for every zero emission car a manufacturer falls short of the target, and £15,000 for every zero emission van, after all other compliance routes have been followed, from 20251. It will introduce a bidirectional car-van transfer mechanism from 2025, with an exchange rate of 0.4 for ZEV car to ZEV van and 2 for ZEV van to ZEV car1. Plug-in Vehicle Grants for vans, trucks, motorcycles, taxis and wheelchair accessible vehicles will continue into the 2025/26 financial year1.
"In December 2024, we launched an eight-week public consultation"
In 2024, the first year of the ZEV Mandate, manufacturers achieved a compliance rate of 24.3% for cars, exceeding the 22% target, while vans reached 9.3%, just below the 10% target1. Over 381,000 electric cars were sold in the UK last year, and manufacturers have committed to investing over £20 billion in UK vehicle manufacturing since the mandate was announced1. Transport remains the largest emitting sector of greenhouse gas emissions, producing 29% of the UK's total emissions in 2023, with road transport accounting for 89% of domestic transport emissions and cars alone responsible for 54% of those1.
Why it matters for households
The rules shape which new cars and vans can be sold in the UK over the next decade, and therefore what is available on the forecourt. The confirmation that hybrids may be sold between 2030 and 2035 widens the choice of new models beyond pure electric during that period, while the 2035 end point means all new cars and vans must be zero emission from then1. For a household weighing a home chargepoint, the continuation of Plug-in Vehicle Grants for vans, taxis and wheelchair accessible vehicles into 2025/26 is relevant to those vehicle types, though the sources do not state whether grants for private cars continue1. The government has said it will consider extending bonus credits to vehicles with vehicle to grid charging capabilities in due course, which relates to how a car might interact with a home's electricity supply, but no decision has been reported1.
What happens next
The government said it will bring the amendments forward promptly, ahead of the November trading window1. The reduced compliance payment levels will be confirmed following engagement with stakeholders1. Regulations will be brought forward to allow UK derived or EU derived WLTP specific emission reference targets to apply from 2021-23 in the UK and in 2024 in Northern Ireland1. The consultation outcome was updated on 7 April 20251.