UK eases electric vehicle transition rules to counter US tariff impact

The UK government announced on the 6th local time that to help the domestic automobile manufacturing industry smoothly transition to electrification, it will relax the mandatory requirements for the proportion of electric vehicles sold by enterprises year by year. Although the goal of banning the sale of new fuel vehicles by 2030 will still be maintained, enterprises can flexibly adjust the proportion of electric vehicle sales between multiple years to avoid high fines. At the same time, UK Prime Minister Starmer promised to reduce non-compliant fines from £15,000 to £12,000 and invest £2.3 billion in tax relief for car purchases and the construction of charging facilities. Some small British manufacturers, such as Aston Martin and McLaren, will be allowed to continue producing fuel vehicles after 2030, and some hybrid models can also be sold until 2035. This move is seen as a response to President Trump's newly announced 25% auto import tariff.