Burnham Cuts EV Sales Targets to 50% by 2030 Amid Wildfire Crisis

Prime Minister Andy Burnham launched a consultation on Friday to cut the UK’s electric vehicle sales target from 80% to as low as 50% by 2030. The proposal offers car makers relief but drew immediate criticism from environmental groups, who say it undermines climate goals. The timing intensified backlash: Burnham announced the review on the same day he acknowledged that the climate crisis was driving hundreds of wildfires destroying homes across England and Wales.

What the new EV targets would mean

The government is consulting on four options: keeping the 80% target unchanged, cutting to 70%, 60%, or 50% by 2030. Under the current Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate, the percentage of new car sales that must be electric rises each year, reaching 80% by 2030. If the government drops pure electric sales to 50%, the other 50% would be hybrid vehicles. The consultation runs until late October. An outright ban on selling new petrol or diesel cars past 2030 will remain in place, as Labour promised in its election manifesto.

Why car makers are pushing for weaker targets

Motor industry figures have urged ministers to ease the targets, arguing that demand for electric vehicles is not yet high enough and meeting current goals costs manufacturers too much money. However, government data contradicts this claim. July 2026 recorded the strongest new car market since 2019, with more than one in four new cars sold being electric. EV sales jumped 45% compared to July 2025, and over 2 million electric vehicles are now registered on UK roads. The Electric Car Grant, offering up to £3,750 off a new EV, has helped over 160,000 drivers make the switch since launching last July.

The climate contradiction

Burnham acknowledged the climate emergency in a video from the West Midlands, saying “We cannot accept this as the new normal.” He noted that firefighters faced hundreds of wildfires in weeks, farmers watched crops fail, and much of England and Wales was in drought. Yet on the same day, the government proposed cuts that could add millions of tonnes a year to the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions. Environmental groups argue the ZEV mandate is working: it drives competition between manufacturers, brings down EV costs, and helps drivers save up to £1,400 annually on running costs.

What happens to hybrids and the 2035 deadline

The consultation also explores changing the date for banning sales of new vehicles with internal combustion engines from 2035. A longer-term deadline for phasing out new hybrid sales would remain in place for 2035. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the government wants to “keep targets under review to ensure they’re practical and back British industry,” but the end goal of zero-emission driving by 2035 has not changed.

Final Thoughts

Burnham faces a credibility gap: he acknowledged climate change as a crisis while proposing policies that weaken emissions targets. The data shows EV adoption is accelerating, not stalling, making the case for cuts harder to defend. Investors watching UK automotive policy face regulatory uncertainty through late October.

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