Toyota, the world’s largest carmaker, warned the UK government that its electric vehicle sales rules could result in “hundreds of millions of pounds” in penalties for individual manufacturers, putting British jobs and investment at risk. This stark warning was part of a successful industry-wide campaign to make the green targets less stringent.
The Japanese auto giant, which operates factories in Derbyshire and North Wales, has historically focused more on hybrid technology than fully electric vehicles. In its lobbying submission, the company argued that the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate’s aggressive timeline posed a significant financial threat to its UK operations.
Toyota’s concerns were shared by its industry peers. Nissan, which runs a major plant in Sunderland, claimed that without more “flexibilities,” the cost of compliance would become “critical” and divert essential funds away from battery EV research and development within the UK. The government eventually heeded these calls and amended the policy.
The success of this lobbying effort has secured a longer future for hybrid vehicles, which Toyota has championed, with sales allowed until 2035. However, climate campaigners argue this slows down the necessary full transition to zero-emission transport and represents a concession to corporate interests over environmental imperatives.