The distinction matters because three related policies are often compressed into one phrase. The zero-emission vehicle, or ZEV, mandate sets the share of manufacturers' new sales that must be zero-emission vehicles. A separate phase-out rule says what types of new cars may be sold after 2030. A later end date governs when new hybrid cars must also leave the market.
Table: Current rules and reported change
| Policy point | Current published position | Reported or contested change | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZEV mandate by 2030 | 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans sold in Great Britain to be zero emission by 2030, rising to 100% by 2035 | The Guardian reported that ministers are preparing to consult on reducing the fully electric car share to 50% by 2030 | GOV.UK; The Guardian |
| 2030 petrol and diesel rule | From 2030 all new cars need to be hybridised in some manner or be zero emission | The Guardian reported that the ban on new solely petrol or diesel cars would still apply | GOV.UK; The Guardian |
| 2035 hybrid endpoint | Non-zero-emission vehicles, including hybrids, are to be phased out from 2035 | The Guardian reported that the 2035 deadline for new hybrid cars is understood to remain in place | GOV.UK; The Guardian |
| Union pressure | Unite said the 2026 ZEV target is 33% electric vehicle sales and that UK makers' sales are roughly 25% | Unite called for targets to be radically reduced, citing job and fine risks | Unite |
Source: GOV.UK ZEV mandate announcement and consultation response; The Guardian; Unite, 2026.
The government page that brought the ZEV mandate into law in January 2024 said 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans sold in Great Britain would be zero emission by 2030, rising to 100% by 2035. A later government consultation response on the phase-out of petrol and diesel cars said that from 2030 all new cars would need to be hybridised in some manner or be zero emission.
The Guardian reported that Prime Minister Keir Starmer was ready to move toward allowing hybrids to make up half of new car sales in 2030, rather than requiring fully battery-electric cars to reach 80% of new car sales. The report said the government was preparing a consultation, not that new statutory targets had already been enacted.
That leaves the legal position and the political direction different as of 14 June. The published government record still states the 80% car and 70% van ZEV trajectory for 2030, plus the 2030 rule against new solely petrol or diesel cars. The reported new move would soften the fully electric share while retaining a pathway in which hybrids bridge part of the decade and then end for new sales by 2035.