West Midlands mayor Richard Parker has urged Chancellor John Healey to ease the
U.K.'s electric vehicle mandate, warning that an 80% battery‑electric vehicle
requirement for new car sales by the end of the decade would strain regional
automakers and suppliers. The government is consulting on cutting the current
80% target to 50%, 60% or 70% by decade‑end, with the shortfall to be met by
hybrids; it remains committed to ending sales of new petrol and diesel cars by
2030. Parker said automakers and suppliers are almost uniformly backing the 50%
option.
