Topic

Policy

The ZEV mandate, grants, tax and the rules that decide what reaches British roads.

Europe has cut its 2035 car target to 87.5%, and Britain's decision is still open

MEPs have cut the EU's 2035 car CO2 target from 100% to 87.5% and the van target to 80%, while the UK's own ZEV mandate review is still waiting on a decision.

8 November 20266 min read

Euro 7 is confirmed for 2027 and the battery test is the real change

Great Britain will adopt Euro 7 for new cars and vans from 29 November 2027. The exhaust limits barely move; the battery durability rules are the real change.

31 October 20265 min read

Policy

Budget 2026 for drivers: fuel duty frozen to July, eVED fleshed out, £100 million for on-street charging

John Healey's first Budget holds fuel duty at 52.95p until July 2027, fixes the business mileage rate at 55p and puts £100 million into local chargers.

28 October 20265 min read

Policy

Two-thirds of drivers are cutting back as pump prices approach record levels

RAC research published the day before the Budget finds 65% of motorists trimming other spending to cover fuel, and a narrow preference for a VAT cut.

27 October 20264 min read

Policy

Burnham steps back from the 2030 electric car target as the cabinet splits

The prime minister has handed the ZEV mandate decision to Louise Haigh over his wife's charging industry links, days after the consultation closed.

25 October 20264 min read

Policy

London's new minicabs would have to be electric from 2028 under TfL's plan

Transport for London wants every private hire vehicle new to licensing to be fully electric from July 2028. The consultation runs until 2 December.

24 October 20264 min read

Policy

Cross-pavement chargers need no planning permission from today, and the bill drops

Households without a driveway can fit a cross-pavement charger without planning permission from 21 October, saving up to £300 on installation.

21 October 20264 min read

Policy

Reports point to a 60% electric target for 2030, and nothing is settled

Reports say ministers are leaning towards a 60% electric share by 2030 rather than 80%, with carmakers asking for 50%. The consultation closes on Friday.

19 October 20266 min read

Policy

Made in Europe: Britain's ask is simple, the price is not

Stellantis, Renault and Mercedes all want the UK counted as European for EU procurement rules. The condition attached is alignment on Chinese EV tariffs.

16 October 20266 min read

Policy

Almost one in five drivers say their next car will be electric

A survey out today finds 18% of drivers intend to buy an EV next against 7% who own one, and 44% plan a low-emission car. What the intentions data really says.

15 October 20265 min read

Policy

Europe's Affordable EV Wave Is Real, and the UK Is Filling Its Own Shelf

Transport & Environment says sub-€25,000 electric sales will rise sevenfold in 2026. What that means for UK buyers, and how the grant does a different job here.

7 October 20264 min read

Policy

September's Final Figures: What the ZEV Mandate Gap Now Requires

The SMMT's final September data confirms a record EV month and a 26.2% year-to-date share against a 33% mandate. Here is what the final quarter has to do.

5 October 20264 min read

Policy

The Budget promised EV drivers a lot. Five months on, what actually happened?

Grant extension to 2030, £200m for chargers, a charging consultation and a pay-per-mile tax. We grade the November Budget's EV promises from October 2026.

29 September 20265 min read

Policy

The Chinese EV Tariff Question Britain Hasn't Answered

The EU puts up to 45.3% duties on Chinese electric cars. Britain charges 10% and takes the cars. That split is now one of the biggest price questions in the UK market.

26 September 20264 min read

Policy

Three Factory Wins, One Clouding Question

Bentley, McLaren and Nissan have committed big money to UK car plants. The factories look secure, but the rules that decide where those cars can be sold are tightening.

26 September 20264 min read

Policy

The AA's EV Readiness Index Just Hit Its Highest Score Yet

The AA's quarterly EV Readiness Index has reached 60 out of 100, a fourth consecutive rise. Better, but the purchase price and charging cost gaps tell a story.

25 September 20265 min read

Policy

Who Is Arguing to Keep the ZEV Mandate As It Is

Car makers want the sales targets softened. Charging firms and lenders are making the opposite case to ministers, and their argument is about money already spent.

20 September 20265 min read

Policy

No Driveway? The Planning Barrier Is Coming Down

Ministers have confirmed a new planning right for cross-pavement charging, removing a hurdle for the four in ten UK households without off-street parking.

15 September 20266 min read

Policy

Halfway Through: The ZEV Mandate Review Is Open and the Arguments Are In

The government's consultation on the future of the zero emission vehicle mandate closes next month. What is being reviewed, what each side wants, and what it means for car buyers.

9 September 20264 min read

Policy

The Electric Car Grant So Far: What the Money Has Actually Done

More than a year after launch and with an extra £1.3 billion behind it, the grant has reshaped the price of going electric. Here is what the evidence says it has and has not achieved.

4 September 20264 min read

Policy

Does the Electric Car Grant Actually Work? The Evidence One Year On

The Electric Car Grant has been applied to more than 140,000 new EVs. But buyer awareness is low and most cars get the smaller discount. We weigh the evidence.

29 August 20265 min read

Policy

The EV Mandate Gap: How Far the UK Electric Car Market Is From Its Own Target

The ZEV mandate asks for 33% of new cars to be electric by the end of 2026. The latest SMMT registrations show how close the market is to the line.

25 August 20263 min read

Policy

The Electric Car Grant Eligible Cars List: Every Model That Qualifies in 2026

Eighteen electric cars now carry the full £3,750 Electric Car Grant discount. Here is the complete eligible list, how the bands work, and what to check before you order.

23 August 20265 min read

Policy

ZEV Mandate Flexibilities: Why Vans, Not Cars, Are the Regulation's Real Test

Electric vans hit 9.5% of sales against a 16% target in 2025, yet the market still complied. Inside the flexibilities, and the review now questioning them.

18 August 20266 min read

Policy

Fuel Duty vs the Electric Mile: What the Tax on Driving Actually Costs You

Fuel duty adds over 6p in tax to every mile a petrol car drives. An electric mile pays nothing, for now. The full comparison, in pence per mile.

16 August 20265 min read

Policy

Company Car Tax and EVs in 2026/27: The 4% Question

Electric company cars sit in a 4% BiK band this tax year, a fraction of what petrol and diesel cars attract. Here is how the numbers work for drivers and employers.

6 August 20265 min read

Policy

How ZEV Mandate Credit Trading Actually Works

Car makers that sell too many petrol cars can buy their way out of trouble under the ZEV mandate. Here is how the credit trading system works, and why it shapes the deals you see in showrooms.

2 August 20265 min read