UK sets ZEV mandate requiring 100% zero-emission vehicle sales by 2035

The UK government unveiled a ZEV mandate requiring 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans to be zero-emission by 2030, rising to 100% by 2035. The phased annual targets and trading mechanism offer a regulatory template India can study as it weighs EV transition timelines and charging infrastructure.

The UK government unveiled a Zero-Emission Vehicle mandate requiring that by 2030, 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans sold in Great Britain be zero-emission, rising to 100% by 2035, after the Prime Minister postponed the petrol and diesel ban from 2030 to 2035. The mandate sets minimum annual targets starting at 22% of new cars in 2024. The government is on track for 300,000 charge points by 2030, a 43% increase, with over £6 billion in private charge point funding ready.

The mandate affects car and van manufacturers including BMW, Tata, Nissan, and AESC, which have committed to UK EV manufacturing and infrastructure. Manufacturers face minimum annual zero-emission sales targets rising progressively to 100% by 2035. Recent data showed 20% of new cars sold in August were zero-emission, with 48,100 public charge points available. The policy was developed in consultation with the Scottish Government, Welsh Government, and Northern Ireland's Department for Infrastructure to ensure UK-wide application.

Manufacturers should plan for the trading scheme allowing them to bank compliance, trade it, or borrow up to 75% of their annual target in the first year, decreasing to 25% by 2026. Affected firms must meet the 22% threshold in 2024 and rising annual targets through 2035. Automakers and infrastructure investors can monitor charge point deployment toward the 300,000 target by 2030 and the LEVI fund installing thousands of new chargers, alongside the expanding second-hand EV market.

Key figure — Zero-emission new car sales target: 80% by 2030, 100% by 2035