The UK government is facing unprecedented pressure from leading car manufacturers to revoke the 2035 ban on new petrol and diesel car sales. In April 2026, BMW, Ford, Nissan, Toyota, and parts supplier Bosch privately urged the government to overturn this significant decarbonisation policy through a joint letter.
The industry's efforts to overthrow the 2035 ban are extensive, with documents obtained via a freedom of information request revealing an "open technology approach" being pushed by the carmakers. This includes highly efficient internal combustion engines, hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and range extenders – all of which produce carbon dioxide emissions and other pollutants.
The 2035 ban on new petrol and diesel cars is considered a crucial policy in achieving the UK's carbon emission reduction targets. The government's Climate Change Committee estimates that transitioning to electric vehicles will be the single largest contributor to cutting UK carbon pollution over the next decade.
Industry lobbying has been intense, with campaigners criticising the suggestion of revoking the 2035 ban as a "historic policy failure". Matt Galvin, Managing Director of Polestar UK, argued there is "simply no justification for prolonging our dependence on petrol and diesel" as consumers increasingly adopt electric vehicles.
The carmakers' letter also proposed a "multipath strategy", aligning with the European Union's revised targets which mandate 90% electric car sales after 2035. However, experts largely dismiss e-fuels – petrol produced using green electricity – as a viable large-scale solution to emissions.