No decision this week on EV sales targets as ministers prepare to meet
The government is expected to relax its target for 80% of new car sales to be electric by 2030, but no decision is due this week and ministers will meet on Wednesday.
How it was covered
- BBC Two carried 56% of the airtime and concentrated on the political argument over consumer choice, industry and green ambition.
- Sky News concentrated on the scale of the EV target cut and Labour's green fallout.
- BBC One concentrated on the industry math, current EV sales and uncertain timing.
- Channel 5, BBC News, Channel 4 and GB News: not found in tracked broadcasts.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story. Facts only one channel reported are attributed to it.
The government is expected to water down its targets for electric vehicle sales, but no decision is due this week. The current rule requires 80% of new cars sold in the UK to be fully electric by 2030.
Reports, first carried by the Guardian, said the 2030 target could be cut by about a quarter. Sky News political correspondent Amanda Akass reported that the figure could fall to around 60%, which would allow manufacturers to sell more hybrid cars. She said the car industry and trade unions had pressed for the change, arguing that existing targets were already being missed because of inflation and the cost of living crisis.
BBC One reported that 26.6% of cars sold so far this year were electric, a little more than one in four, against a 33% target for this year. It said a watering down of some kind looked inevitable and that carmakers want the 2030 target brought down to about 50%, a level they call rational.
The government has not confirmed the change. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said reports were speculation and no decision had been made. ITV reported that sources close to the process said there would be no decision this week. Ministers with a stake will meet on Wednesday, after which Louise Haigh, the de facto Deputy Prime Minister, will decide whether to relax the targets, ITV said. BBC One reported that a decision was expected within the next couple of weeks.
The timing is awkward because Burnham is due to attend the UN climate summit in Turkey on Wednesday, ITV reported. Labour MPs are concerned about the message the move would send on green commitments, ITV said, while Sky News reported anger among some backbench Labour MPs and possible Cabinet unease.
On BBC Two's Politics Live, Craig Mackinlay welcomed the reported change and argued that consumers, not government targets, should decide what cars they buy. Labour MP Nesil Caliskan said good government meant practical compromise and that supporting industry and jobs mattered while keeping net zero commitments. Coco Khan said the government lacked ambition and should move faster on green investment.
ITV reported that the EU had already relaxed its EV targets and that it seemed highly likely the UK government would follow suit. Sky News said the targets are legally binding, so failing to hit them could lead to legal action. Sky News also linked the decision to wider concerns about the government's green agenda, citing a new Jackdaw oil field licence, £3bn moved from energy efficiency spending to defence, and a report that boiler exemptions could widen.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Widely reported · 3 or more of 4 channels | ||||
| The existing policy requires 80% of new vehicles sold in the UK to be fully electric by 2030. | Reported by ITV | |||
| A government meeting this week is widely expected to water down the target. | Reported by BBC Two | Not reported by ITV | ||
| The Guardian reported that the target would be reduced to around 60%. | Not reported by BBC One | Reported by ITV | ||
| Reported by a few · 2 channels | ||||
| Andy Burnham said reports were speculation and no decision had been made. | Not reported by BBC Two | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Ministers with a stake are due to meet on Wednesday, with no decision this week and a decision expected within a couple of weeks, after which Louise Haigh will decide whether to relax the targets. | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Only on one channel | ||||
| £3bn was cut from the Department of Energy, largely from funding intended for heat pumps. | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| Carmakers wanted the 2030 target reduced to about 50%. | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Craig Mackinlay claimed that UK domestic car production had reached its lowest level since the 1950s. | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Electric cars accounted for 26.6% of cars sold this year, against a 33% target. | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| The EU has already relaxed its electric vehicle targets, and the UK government is likely to follow suit. | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by Sky News | |
| The government said no decisions had been taken and that it remained committed to the EV mandate. | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by BBC Two | Not reported by ITV | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Sky News broke the report on Sunday night and focused on the scale of the likely cut, including the possible fall from 80% to 60% by 2030. It set the move in a wider pattern of green policy dilution and highlighted the risk of legal action because the targets are binding. Its studio discussion assessed the political fallout among Labour MPs and the timing before COP.
- “There are reports tonight that the government is planning to make big cuts to its electric vehicle targets this week”
- “that target will be watered down to around 60%”
- “These are legally binding targets, right?”
BBC Two's Politics Live turned the report into a panel argument about whether government should set consumer targets at all. It gave space to Craig Mackinlay's consumer-choice and Chinese-competition case alongside Nesil Caliskan's defence of a practical transition and Coco Khan's call for faster green investment. The programme focused on industrial strategy and jobs rather than the precise timing of a decision.
- “consumers are king”
- “you shouldn't need government targets”
- “no, let's be practical and be faster”
BBC One's coverage led with a business correspondent's explanation of what the target numbers mean in practice. It compared the 26.6% share of electric cars sold so far this year with the 33% target for this year and reported that carmakers want the 2030 goal cut to about 50%. It was more cautious than some others about timing, noting cabinet divisions and saying a decision was expected within weeks rather than days.
- “a watering down of some sort does look pretty much inevitable. It's a question of how far that process goes.”
- “so far this year, 26.6% of all cars sold have been electric”
- “carmakers want it brought right down to about 50%. They say that would be rational.”
ITV focused on the Westminster process and timing, reporting that sources close to the process said there would be no decision this week. It explained that a Wednesday meeting of ministers with a stake would be followed by a decision from Louise Haigh, the de facto Deputy Prime Minister. It also stressed the awkward timing before the UN climate summit in Turkey and noted that the EU had already relaxed its targets.
- “there will not be a decision this week”
- “it will be up to Louise Haigh, the de facto Deputy Prime Minister, to make a decision on whether these targets should be relaxed”
- “the EU has already relaxed its electric vehicle targets, and it seems highly likely that the government is going to follow suit”
Who was on air
People and organisations each channel put on air while covering this story. Channels' own presenters and reporters are not listed. Names as transcribed, and the list can miss people.
- 13:27 GMT
Andy Burnham, Prime Minister
BBC News at One including · Mon 9 Nov
- 12:37 GMT
Miatta Fahnbulleh, Energy and Net Zero Secretary
Politics Live · Mon 9 Nov
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.