Ministers are poised to significantly loosen the government's electric vehicle targets this week, a move likely to ease pressure on carmakers but provoke anger from Labour MPs already uneasy about the party's green credentials.

Louise Haigh, described as the government's de facto deputy prime minister, is expected to finalise the policy following a decisive meeting in Downing Street on Wednesday, bringing to a head a lengthy disagreement between the transport, energy and business departments. According to government sources, Haigh is likely to approve a reduction of roughly a quarter in the sales target, a decision that would benefit the domestic auto industry but risk a confrontation with MPs and campaigners over what is considered the government's most consequential climate policy.

The announcement comes just before Prime Minister Andy Burnham departs for his first Cop summit in the role, where he and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband are expected to promote electrification worldwide. Burnham has stepped back from the decision himself because his wife, Marie-France van Heel, advises the board of EV charging firm Be.EV.

Some Labour MPs are already frustrated following approval of the Jackdaw gasfield and cuts to green funding to finance defence spending, and view the looming choices on the Rosebank oilfield and the EV mandate as pivotal. Morecambe and Lunesdale MP Lizzi Collinge warned the mandate decision "will have a huge climate impact," while Monmouthshire MP Catherine Fookes said the mandate must be preserved and Rosebank rejected.

Under existing rules from the previous Conservative government, manufacturers must reach 80% EV sales by 2030, rising to a full phaseout of new petrol and diesel sales by 2035. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders says this year's 33% target will be missed, with battery EVs making up 26.6% of sales so far. Its chief executive, Mike Hawes, said the gap between demand and targets "continues to widen."

Reports suggest Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has pushed for a steep cut to 50%, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander favours around 60%, while Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh and predecessor Ed Miliband want the target left at 80%. Insiders expect Haigh to settle near 60%, alongside extended flexibilities until 2034.

Shane Brennan of ChargeUK warned that weakening the mandate "puts £1.7bn of charging infrastructure at risk," while Paul McNamee of the Labour Climate and Environment Forum said any rollback would be seen as abandoning climate leadership unless accompanied by firm guarantees on the 2035 target and industrial strategy.

A government spokesperson insisted no decisions had been made, stating ministers remain "united" behind the mandate and committed to net zero goals.

Source: The Guardian

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