Prime Minister Andy Burnham has insisted that no decision has been made on cutting the UK's electric vehicle sales targets, after reports that ministers are preparing to reduce the 2030 target by about a quarter.

The Guardian reported that Louise Haigh, the Prime Minister's de facto deputy, is expected to agree this week to cut the target for zero-emission vehicle sales from 80% to around 60%. A meeting at Downing Street on Wednesday is expected to settle the long-running dispute between the transport, energy and business departments.

Asked about the report during a visit to Watford on Monday, Mr Burnham said the consultation on the zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate had concluded only a fortnight ago and was still being considered. He said the reports were speculation and that no decision had been made at this point.

His official spokesman gave the same message, saying the Government was fully behind the ZEV mandate and that no decisions had been taken yet. The spokesman said the commitments to phase out new cars that run only on petrol or diesel by 2030, and for every new car and van to be zero emission by 2035, were unchanged, along with the UK's legally binding net zero targets.

What the current rules require

Under the current mandate, carmakers must sell a rising share of zero-emission vehicles each year, reaching 80% of new car sales by 2030, with hybrids allowed to make up the rest. The Government launched a consultation in August amid concerns from carmakers about the cost of the order to phase out purely petrol or diesel cars and vans. Under the options set out in the consultation, the 2030 target could be cut to as low as 50%.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has previously called the current mandate a fantasy and welcomed the review. Industry figures show used electric car transactions rose by just over 23% in the third quarter of the year, the market's best third quarter since before the pandemic, while battery electric cars took 32% of new registrations in October.

Decision rests with Haigh after Burnham recusal

Ms Haigh will oversee the decision-making process after Mr Burnham recused himself because his wife, Marie-France van Heel, advises the board of the Manchester-based electric vehicle charging network Be.EV. The Guardian reported that the Government is expected to sign off on a 60% target, a move that has drawn criticism from green campaigners, particularly given the timing as the COP31 climate summit gets under way in Antalya, Turkey.

Mr Burnham is attending COP31, his first as Prime Minister. His spokesman said his attendance sent a clear message that the UK remains a climate leader, and that the consultation was about getting the details right so the switch works for drivers, carmakers and the hundreds of workers whose jobs depend on the industry.

Criticism from Labour MPs and Greens

The possible weakening of the mandate has been criticised by some Labour MPs. Catherine Fookes, the MP for Monmouthshire, said the Government had difficult decisions to make and that the Prime Minister would need to weigh up the consequences of each, adding that the ZEV mandate needed to stay and the Rosebank oil field should be rejected.

The Labour Climate and Environment Forum said the Government was right to support the industry and its workers, but that weakening the mandate would do little to help. Green MP Sian Berry said the switch to electric vehicles had the potential to create greater emissions savings than any other energy transition policy, and argued the Government should instead boost uptake through scrappage schemes and cheaper, more reliable public charging.

For now, the 80% target remains the rule. The Government has promised a formal response to the consultation by the end of 2026, and Downing Street insists nothing is settled until that response is published.