Big Auto's UK Play: The Stealth Lobby Against Decarbonisation

A coalition of major carmakers—BMW, Ford, Nissan, Toyota, and parts giant Bosch—privately lobbied the UK government to revoke its 2035 ban on new petrol and diesel cars. This revelation, uncovered via a freedom of information request by The Fast Charge newsletter and shared with The Guardian, exposes a concerted effort to dismantle a cornerstone of the UK's decarbonisation policy.

The joint letter, sent to ministers in April, advocated for an “open technology approach” extending beyond 2035. This approach includes "highly efficient ICE [internal combustion engines], hybrids, plug-in hybrids, range extenders and combustion engines when utilising green steel and sustainable fuels." Crucially, all these technologies continue to produce carbon dioxide and other pollutants, directly challenging the government's stated goal for new cars to produce zero carbon emissions after 2035.

This lobbying effort directly contradicts the government’s own Climate Change Committee, which identifies the switch to electric vehicles as the single biggest contributor to cutting UK carbon pollution over the next decade. While a government spokesperson declared the 2035 ban "not up for negotiation," the historical record shows "successive governments have weakened battery EV policies," and current rules (the zero emission vehicle, or ZEV mandate) are already under review due to "strong lobbying by carmakers."

**The Economic Leverage of Incumbents**

The manufacturers' significant "sway with the government" is undeniable. Collectively, they "employ 30,000 people in the UK," a powerful economic argument in any policy debate. BMW operates the Mini factory in Oxford and Rolls-Royce in West Sussex. Nissan runs the largest UK car factory in Sunderland, and Ford maintains facilities in Dagenham near London and Merseyside. This industrial footprint grants them considerable leverage in shaping national policy, making their resistance to a full EV transition a complex socio-economic issue, not merely an environmental one.

**A European Blueprint for Delay?**

The carmakers’ letter explicitly sought a "multipath strategy" mirroring the European Union's recent shift. In December, the EU "weakened its own electric car targets" to enforce 90% electric car sales after 2035, a notable reduction from its prior 100% target. This European precedent appears to be a strategic template for the UK-based lobby, suggesting a coordinated, cross-border industry push to soften ambitious decarbonisation timelines.

**Pushback and Policy Peril**

The proposal to revoke the 2035 ban faced swift criticism from campaigners and Polestar, a dedicated EV brand. Matt Galvin, managing director of Polestar UK, bluntly called a reversal "a historic policy failure" amidst a climate emergency. He argued that "The technology exists, consumers are embracing it and the economic case is becoming stronger every year," asserting there is "no justification for prolonging our dependence on petrol and diesel." Galvin's call for policymakers to "accelerate the transition" by removing barriers directly counters the legacy carmakers' plea for extended ICE lifespans. The current government's consideration of further changes to the ZEV mandate, following this intense lobbying, signals the tangible threat to the UK's climate commitments and the potential for a significant policy backslide.