Leaked Papers Show Carmakers United Against UK’s Green Car Deadlines

A united front of Britain’s most powerful carmakers privately lobbied the government to delay the country’s transition to electric vehicles, according to newly surfaced documents. Companies including JLR, BMW, Nissan, and Toyota all submitted arguments claiming the existing deadlines were unworkable and economically harmful.
The papers, obtained by a newsletter covering the EV sector, reveal the details of the industry’s case. They argued that slower-than-expected consumer uptake of electric cars was forcing them into a price war, making it impossible to invest in future UK production lines. JLR warned of “material damage” to producers’ ability to invest.
The lobbying effort presented the government with a difficult choice: stick to its ambitious climate timeline and risk damaging a key manufacturing sector, or grant concessions. The government chose the latter, amending the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate in April to allow for a slower phase-out of petrol cars.
This outcome has been fiercely contested. Campaigners argue that the mandate was a vital tool for change and that the industry’s warnings were overstated, given they all met their 2024 obligations. They see the result as a victory for corporate lobbying over public environmental interests.