UK hybrid car emissions set to rise under new sales rules

The UK government's weakening of rules on electric car sales is likely to result in significantly higher carbon emissions as sales of hybrid vehicles rise, analysis shows.

- Jasper Jolly

The zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, announced last month, allows carmakers to sell more plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs), which combine a small battery with a polluting petrol engine, in place of fully electric models.

The new rules could result in 500,000 additional PHEVs on UK roads by 2030, according to modelling by T&E, a campaign group on transport and the environment.

Manufacturers were previously obliged to sell more fully electric cars every year in order to meet the UK's climate targets. PHEVs tend to be much more profitable to make than pure battery electric cars and the change was announced as a way to help struggling carmakers.

Tim Dexter, a vehicle policy manager at T&E UK, said: "The government's changes will allow car manufacturers to sell more plug-in hybrids and for longer.

"Instead of accelerating the transition to zero emission cars, the industry can maximise sales of lucrative PHEVs, which emit far more than claimed."