Kemi Badenoch has said the Conservatives would scrap the ban on new petrol and diesel cars if they win the next election.
The Tory leader said the policy is economically damaging and strategically naïve.
Writing in the Sunday Telegraph she said the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate was a “well-meaning but ultimately destructive piece of legislation”.
Under current plans all new cars sold from 2030 must be electric or hybrid as part of the legally binding net zero target for 2050.
Mrs Badenoch said the policy risks weakening domestic manufacturing while handing advantage to overseas competitors.
Her intervention follows talks with Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni who has been pushing to soften Europe’s own phase-out plans.
Six EU countries including Italy have recently urged Brussels to rethink the 2035 deadline warning it could undermine industrial competitiveness.
Badenoch argued that Europe’s shifting stance leaves the UK exposed.
She said pressing ahead alone would disadvantage British carmakers while “the only winners in this economic self-harm are China”.
She said a future Conservative government would still support cleaner transport but without rigid mandates. The transition she argued should be driven by affordability practicality and technological progress rather than deadlines set by politicians.
Speaking to broadcasters she said investment decisions were already being affected. “Car makers have stopped investing in the UK and many are taking production elsewhere,” she said adding that the market should decide when petrol and diesel are phased out.
The comments reopen a long-running political fault line. The petrol and diesel ban was first announced by Boris Johnson in 2020 then delayed to 2035 under Rishi Sunak with Labour pledging to restore the 2030 deadline.
The government has since doubled down on incentives announcing £1.3 billion for the Electric Car Grant scheme. From April 2028 electric vehicles will also face a new road charge of 3p per mile under Electric Vehicle Excise Duty.
Industry remains split on the timetable with some firms backing faster electrification and others calling for more flexibility.
Scrap 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars says Badenoch appeared first on Energy Live News.