Update on 2030 ban of new petrol & diesel cars – EV targets and hybrid sales
Government confirms 2030 ban of new petrol & diesel cars, relaxes electric car targets and says hybrids can stay on sale until 2035
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By Tia Harrison-North
Last updated: 8 April 2025
The government has given an update on the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in the UK, which includes electric car targets for manufacturers and the sale of hybrid cars.
The ban has been major news for a while, especially since the Labour government reinstated the 2030 deadline after the previous Conservative leadership extended it to 2035.
Manufacturers are now being given more flexibility on the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate, including lower fines and annual targets. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander explained that this is in response to trade tariffs from the US.
How does this impact drivers in the UK? Read our guide below to get the details.
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Will new petrol and diesel car sales be banned from 2030?
The details of this ban have gone back and forth for a little while, but the government confirms that the sale of new petrol and diesel cars will still be phased out from 2030.
The big news is that brand-new ‘full’ hybrids (also called ‘self-charging’ hybrids) and plug-in hybrids can be sold until 2035.
Any new car that isn’t a zero-emission vehicle (petrols, diesels and hybrids) will be banned after 2035 – excluding if it’s from a small British manufacturer that makes fewer than 2,500 cars per year.
You can still buy used petrol, diesel and hybrid cars, and drive them legally in the UK, even after the 2030 mark.
2025 changes to the fuel-powered car ban:
So, the main things to remember are:
Sales of new petrol and diesel cars will be banned in the UK from 2030
Full hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles can be sold until 2035
British brands that make fewer than 2,500 vehicles per year can continue making fuel-powered cars after 2030 – this includes Aston Martin and McLaren
You can still buy used petrol and diesel cars after 2030, and hybrid cars after 2035, when you’ll no longer be able to buy new ones
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How have US tariffs impacted the petrol and diesel car ban?
As of April 2025, US President Donald Trump has applied a 25% tariff on cars imported into the US.
This means the company importing the car would need to pay a 25% fee to get it into the country.
This could have a big impact on UK car brands as the US is a major export market for the UK – 27% of cars made in the UK went to the US last year.
Fines and electric car targets for UK car manufacturers
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has made targets for the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate, which aims to make 80% of new cars sold in the UK electric by 2030, more flexible.
Firstly, the fine for each car that doesn’t meet the latest emissions standard has been cut to £12,000 from £15,000.
The Non-Zero Emission Car CO2 Trading Scheme (CCTS), which lets manufacturers offset the sale of non-electric cars by beating their annual CO2 reduction targets, has been extended until 2029 (previously planned to end in 2026).
Manufacturers can also make up missed electric car sales targets (28% for 2025) by ‘borrowing’ up to half of their electric car sales from the next year.
This ‘borrowing’ scheme was also due to end in 2026 but has been extended to 2030 – manufacturers will only be allowed to ‘borrow’ up to 25% of the next year’s EV sales from 2026 though.
Finally, £2.3 billion will be put towards “people buying electric vehicles and improving charging infrastructure” in the form of tax breaks.
Buying used cars and EVs
There are currently no plans to ban the sale of used petrol or diesel vehicles, so you can buy used cars even after the 2030 ban comes into action.
You’ll also be able to buy used electric cars when the ban is in place – you won’t be restricted to purely new EVs and hybrids if you want lower-emission driving.
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