The Conservative Party has pledged to scrap the planned ban on new petrol and diesel cars if it wins the next general election, party leader Kemi Badenoch has said.
Badenoch described the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate as a “well-meaning but ultimately destructive” policy that could damage the UK’s car industry.
Under current plans, all new cars sold from 2030 must be electric or hybrid as part of efforts to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
Badenoch’s comments followed talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has pushed for the European Union to soften its own proposed 2035 ban on petrol and diesel vehicles.
Six EU countries, including Italy, have warned that strict deadlines could undermine industrial competitiveness.
The Conservative leader argued that pressing ahead with the ban would leave the UK isolated and hand an advantage to overseas manufacturers, particularly China. She said a future Conservative government would still pursue cleaner transport but through “affordability, practicality and technological progress”, rather than rigid mandates.
She added that scrapping the ZEV mandate would give the UK car industry room to recover and innovate. Carmakers remain divided over the 2030 deadline, with some calling for greater government support.
The Labour government has reaffirmed its commitment to phasing out non-zero emission vehicles and recently announced £1.3bn in funding to encourage electric vehicle uptake. The next general election is due by August 2029.
