Major carmakers including BMW, Ford, Nissan, and Toyota, along with parts manufacturer Bosch, privately lobbied the UK government to revoke the ban on new petrol and diesel cars after 2035, according to documents obtained by The Fast Charge newsletter via a freedom of information request and shared with the Guardian.
Carmakers' joint letter calls for 'open technology approach'
The joint letter, sent to ministers in April, urged the government to adopt an 'open technology approach' that would allow 'highly efficient ICE [internal combustion engines], hybrids, plug-in hybrids, range extenders and combustion engines when utilising green steel and sustainable fuels' beyond 2035. All these technologies produce carbon dioxide and other harmful pollutants.
The 2035 ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars is a cornerstone policy for cutting the UK's carbon emissions. The switch to electric vehicles is the single biggest contributor to reducing UK carbon pollution in the next decade, according to the government's Climate Change Committee.
Government stance and existing flexibilities
A government spokesperson stated that the 2035 ban is not up for negotiation. However, successive governments have weakened battery EV policies. Labour has already introduced 'flexibilities' into electric vehicle targets leading up to 2030. The government is now considering further changes to the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate after strong lobbying by carmakers.
The suggestion of revoking the 2035 ban was heavily criticised by campaigners and Polestar, an EV brand. Matt Galvin, managing director of Polestar UK, said: 'Reversing the transition to pure electric vehicles in the middle of a climate emergency would be a historic policy failure. The technology exists, consumers are embracing it and the economic case is becoming stronger every year. There is simply no justification for prolonging our dependence on petrol and diesel.'
Carmakers' influence and employment
The manufacturers have significant sway with the government because they collectively employ 30,000 people in the UK. BMW owns the Mini factory in Oxford and Rolls-Royce in West Sussex; Nissan operates the largest UK car factory in Sunderland; and Ford has factories in Dagenham near London and Merseyside.
In the letter, the companies argued for a 'multipath strategy' matching the EU, which weakened its own electric car targets in December to enforce 90% electric car sales after 2035, down from 100%. They requested a meeting with ministers for Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland to discuss the mandate, suggesting efforts to build broad support for diluting the targets.
E-fuels and expert criticism
The companies believed that extra emissions could be offset by using lower-carbon steel and 'e-fuels' – petrol made using green electricity. However, experts say e-fuels are not viable on a large scale due to massive energy wastage. Critics of European car industry lobbying warn that continued sale of internal combustion engine cars could backfire, especially with fierce competition from Chinese electric carmakers.
Colin Walker, head of transport at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said: 'For the UK car industry a failure to make the transition quickly enough risks factories and communities being left behind, ultimately putting jobs in peril. There is simply no technology that can rival electrification when it comes to reducing emissions and offering significantly lower running costs.'
Government response and company statements
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: 'We remain committed to phasing out all new non-zero-emission car and van sales by 2035. The UK EV market is strong and growing, with sales up 35% on June last year, and we’re backing manufacturers through our £2bn electric car grant, which is boosting sales and helping more drivers into EVs. We’ve committed to review the mandate by 2027.'
BMW, Bosch, Nissan, and Toyota all said the targets should be matched to customer demand and that they were committed to decarbonisation. BMW expressed 'concerns about the trajectory of the ZEV mandate as the sales requirements for 2026 and beyond do not reflect current levels of consumer demand.' A Bosch spokesperson said: 'Supporting all technologies that can reduce CO2 emissions provides the best opportunity for the sector to achieve decarbonisation.' Nissan stated it remains committed to a 'fully electric future' but asked for a more gradual transition. Toyota said the government should 'remain open-minded' because demand did not match the mandate, adding: 'We view carbon as the enemy and are pursuing a multi-pathway strategy that addresses consumers’ mobility needs and enables customers to reduce their emissions as much as possible, as quickly as possible.' Ford was approached for comment.
