UK urged not to further weaken EV rules as CO2 impact revealed

British vehicles will emit extra 17m tonnes of CO2 by 2030 due to loophole allowing sale of more PHEVs, data suggests

Campaigners have urged the government to resist calls to further water down electric car sale rules, as an analysis reveals that vehicles on UK roads will emit an extra 17m tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2030 mostly because of changes last year.

Parts of the car industry have urged ministers to review for a second time the rules that force manufacturers to sell increasing numbers of electric cars each year.

However, environmental groups and the charging industry said that further weakening would undermine the transition away from combustion engines.

The zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate was introduced under the Conservatives in 2023 to force carmakers to increase sales of electric cars up to 80% by 2030 . However, Labour last year weakened the rules , adding loopholes called “flexibilities” that mean carmakers can sell more cars with petrol engines.

Carmakers have responded this year with a 48% rise in sales of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), which combine a small battery and a petrol engine.

There will be an extra 59bn miles driven using petrol and diesel engines in cars and vans compared with forecasts before the ZEV mandate changes, according to an industry analysis seen by the Guardian of updated forecasts by the Department for Transport (DfT).

Based on UK government average emission figures, those extra miles would add an extra 17m tonnes of direct carbon dioxide to the atmosphere – about equivalent to every Ryanair flight departing from Europe for a year , or the annual output of a small country such as Croatia. Battery electric cars produce zero direct carbon emissions.