Carmakers pressed UK to soften 2035 car ban

Major carmakers privately lobbied the UK government to relax its planned ban on new petrol and diesel cars after 2035, according to documents reported by The Guardian. The papers show BMW, Ford, Nissan and Toyota, along with parts maker Bosch, jointly urged ministers in April to keep what they described as an “open technology approach” rather than moving to a stricter zero-emissions-only rule for new cars after that date. The lobbying effort matters because the 2035 deadline is one of the UK’s most visible transport decarbonisation targets. Under the policy as set out by government, new cars sold after that point are meant to produce zero carbon emissions at the tailpipe. Any attempt to dilute that rule would be politically sensitive, given pressure on ministers to support industry while still meeting climate goals. The Guardian says the joint letter is being disclosed for the first time and reveals how major manufacturers have been trying to shape the final direction of the policy behind the scenes. The companies involved are among the best-known names in the global car market, and their position suggests the industry is still divided over how quickly the UK should move away from combustion engines. An “open technology approach” is a familiar phrase in automotive policy debates. In practice, it can be used to argue that manufacturers should be allowed to meet emissions targets through a broader mix of powertrains, rather than being pushed entirely toward battery-electric vehicles. That can include hybrid systems and, depending on the policy framework, continued support for petrol and diesel models beyond a fixed deadline. For consumers, the immediate impact is not a change in law but continued uncertainty about the long-term direction of the market. Drivers shopping for a new car today still face a transition period in which electric vehicles, hybrids and conventional engines all remain available in many segments. The bigger question is what kinds of cars will be built and sold closer to the end of the decade, and how forcefully the government will defend its current timetable. The lobbying effort also raises a broader point about the tension between industrial policy and climate policy. Carmakers are under pressure to protect sales, jobs and investment, particularly at a time when the cost of switching production lines and battery supply chains remains high. At the same time, governments are trying to drive down transport emissions, one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise quickly. What is not yet clear from the feed information alone is how ministers responded to the April letter, whether the request has any backing inside government, or whether the lobbying has led to any formal review of the 2035 rule. The disclosed correspondence shows the industry’s preference, but not the outcome. For now, the report is a reminder that the path to cleaner transport is still being contested. The UK’s 2035 target remains a key marker in that transition, but the latest disclosure suggests some of the world’s biggest carmakers would prefer a more flexible route there.

Source: The Guardian Business - https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jul/23/carmakers-lobbied-uk-revoke-ban-petrol-diesel-cars-2035