The UK government is reportedly planning to weaken its zero emission vehicles (ZEV) mandate, which currently requires 80 per cent of all new cars sold in the UK to be electric by 2030 on the road to a 2035 ambition of 100 per cent.

Numerous outlets in the UK reported on Monday that the country’s government was planning to water down its 2030 targets, and plans to meet with the UK car industry this week to discuss a potential shift in policy.

All reports, however, suggest that the new 2030 target could fall from 80 per cent to anywhere between 50 to 70 per cent – a potentially significant hit to the country’s electrification and its efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

The UK car industry has been pleading for a review of the ZEV mandate for some time now, declaring that demand for electric vehicles (EVs) does not match political ambition, even despite significant investments, government incentives, and improvements to charging infrastructure.

“Targets alone do not cut emissions – new vehicle uptake does,” said Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). “Consumers and businesses will only switch when conditions – and costs – are right.”

According to Hawes, in an update published late last week ahead of the latest rumours, “consumers consistently cite familiar reasons to hold off: cost, uncertainty about infrastructure, whether an EV will meet their driving needs.

“Add in a prospective additional tax in the form of a pence per mile VED charge, and such wariness is natural,” he said.

But while the UK’s carmakers and trade unions have continued to lobby the government for years to ease the mandate, proponents of the ZEV mandate warn that any weakening of the target will only serve to harm the UK’s long-term electrification and climate goals.

Transport & Environment (T&E) said the SMMT’s claims lean “heavily on selective evidence, unsupported assertions, and misleading interpretations that exaggerate challenges while ignoring clear signs of significant market progress.”

T&E pointed to data which showed that BEV sales had increased by 31 per cent year-on-year in May and 56 per cent year-on-year in April.

“Let’s be clear: the SMMT has spent years overstating the challenges of the EV transition while downplaying industry inaction to justify weakening the ZEV mandate,” said Tim Dexter, T&E UK vehicles policy manager.

“The reality is much simpler. Carmakers that moved early, like Renault, are now gaining market share in the UK and globally thanks to great new EV models. Those that delayed are not victims of policy; they are betting on political backtracking. That is not a strategy, it is a gamble that risks leaving them behind in a rapidly electrifying global market.”

The 2030 ban on petrol and diesel vehicles was introduced in 2020 by former Conservative prime minister Boris Johnson, before it was then pushed back by then Conservative prime minister Rishi Sunak in 2023.

It was under Sunak that the phased targets for EV sales under the ZEV mandate were introduced, with annual targets ramping up to 100 per cent by 2035 – though any targets after 2030 were yet to be enshrined in legislation.

Labour, which ousted the Conservatives in July 2024, pledged to bring the petrol and diesel ban back to 2030, and now appears unwilling to cement any ban at all.

“Investors in the UK have been absolutely clear that the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate is vital for driving investment into our charging infrastructure,” said James Alexander, CEO of the UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association (UKSIF).

“Any attempt to water down these targets could send warning signals to these investors about the government’s long-term commitment to electrifying our transport network. This could threaten future financing for charging infrastructure, at a time when more and more consumers are seeking to switch to electric vehicles.”

The UK’s seesawing on its EV targets mirrors what has already been taking place on the European Continent, after the European Commission proposed in December dropping the European Union’s effective ban on new combustion-engine cars from 2035 by allowing continued sales of some non-electric vehicles.

The Commission had come under intense pressure from Germany, Italy, as well as the European car industry, to relax its plan to ban the sale of petrol and diesel cars and vans from 2035. Instead of a 100 per cent cut in allowed emissions, the Commission has proposed dropping that to a 90 per cent cut.

Such a move, however, could see battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales slip by as much as 50 per cent, according to T&E, who analysed the potential impact of the Commission’s proposal.

“It’s like hedging your bets when there’s only one horse in the race,” said Lucien Mathieu, cars director at T&E, speaking in February.

“The world is going electric, but the EU proposal would divert investment into other technologies that won’t deliver for the climate or the economy. The current 2035 target provides the investment certainty Europe needs to scale up EV production and compete globally.

“The proposed changes would mean keeping the combustion engine and hybrid alive and rewarding the laggards.”

See The Driven’s detailed EV sales data here: Australian electric vehicle sales by month in 2026; by model and by brand.

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Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.

• Ford’s upcoming mid-size electric pickup truck is getting closer.
• The American automaker offered a glimpse at the $30,000 EV’s potential design.
• In a new video series, Ford also shows off the first camouflaged working prototypes during cold-weather testing.

Ford may have ditched the F-150 Lightning, but the American car company is not done with electric pickups yet. The automaker’s upcoming mid-size truck, which is expected to cost around $30,000, is still alive and kicking, and on track for a 2027 reveal.

In a new video series, Ford is offering a glimpse into the development of its make-or-break electric car, including shots of the EV during cold-weather testing, the radical new assembly process, and the potential final design of the car.

Photo by: Ford

One of the videos posted on an elusive new webpage shows several design sketches that cement the image of a rather boxy vehicle with vertical headlamps and a car-like silhouette. Another video that shows several camouflaged prototypes backs the idea of a Maverick-sized pickup with a relatively short bed. 

All this being said, nobody—except Ford—knows what the finished entry-level electric pickup will look like or what it will be called. Some rumors suggest that the Ranchero nameplate will make a return, but we’ll have to wait and see what the blue oval brand has in store for its radical new EV.

Based on an all-new, bespoke architecture dubbed the Universal Electric Vehicle (UEV) platform, Ford’s new mid-size pickup will make extensive use of megacastings—huge body parts that reduce the number of parts—that are bolted together in sections. 

Photo by: Ford

There’s a front part, a middle part, and a rear section. Previously, Ford said that each of these sections would be assembled on a separate line, and they would be bolted together at the end of the line. In another video posted on the model’s dedicated webpage, the automaker shows how the front part of the car is clipped onto the main chassis in an area of the factory called “The Chapel of Love,” where the two sections get “married.”

Mark Gentry, who works at Ford’s New Model Program Development Center (NMPDC), said he has been building Ford prototypes for 27 years and that nothing has gone together as easily as the new EV. The video also shows workers using bolts and adhesive to assemble various parts.

The company has previously said that the upcoming electric pickup will offer the interior space of a mid-size truck in the footprint of a Maverick. The new EV would also be as fast as a gas-powered Mustang EcoBoost and more spacious than a Toyota RAV4, thanks to the front trunk and rear bed.

Photo by: Ford

Ford has yet to offer solid details on the EV’s powertrain, but it has hinted that it would be powered by a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) or nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery with a maximum capacity of around 51 kilowatt-hours. That’s about half of what the cheapest F-150 Lightning truck offered, but the company is adamant that the new, purpose-built pickup will offer sufficient range, thanks to the car being much lighter and more aerodynamic.

The traction battery will be rated at 400 volts, which is a downgrade compared to the latest and greatest EVs out there, which have 800V or higher-voltage packs, but Ford said that it’s the right choice for this particular use case because it enables access to all installed charging infrastructure, it’s affordable, and it can make money for the company. Vehicle-to-load (V2L), which allows owners to export energy from the main battery to power tools and appliances, will be baked in.

Two-wheel drive and all-wheel drive options are in the works, with the Detroit automaker claiming that the electric motors, which will be built in-house, will be the cheapest in the world, allowing it to keep the costs down and the selling price low.

Ford’s new $30,000 pickup is expected to debut next year.

8

Source: Ford

All Souls are well equipped. The First Edition came with leather trim, adaptive cruise control, a Harman Kardon hi-fi, a head-up display and LED headlights. Also standard were heated front seats with eight-way electric adjustment for the driver’s seat, a reversing camera, wireless phone charging, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. 

When the First Edition morphed into the Maxx, the electric driver’s seat adjustment was ditched, but a heated steering wheel and rear parking sensors became standard. 

The Explore continued with the Maxx’s standard equipment, plus electric driver’s seat adjustment; Urban ditched the heated seats and steering wheel, the leather trim and the rear parking sensors.

Prices

Find an early, high-mileage Soul EV and you can pay as little as £10,000 for it if you buy privately, but few of these are available for less than £12,000. This bags a 20-plate First Edition with 30,000 miles on the clock; go for a Maxx instead and you should expect to spend upwards of £14,000, which secures a 22-plate example with 40,000 miles notched up. Spend £16,000, and a 10,000-mile Maxx on a 22-plate can be yours. 

We saw very few Urbans for sale, but we did find a 3,000-mile car on a 24-plate being sold privately for £14,250. The most you’ll pay for a Soul EV is £20,000, which bags a 5,000-mile Explore on a 74-plate. 

In 2024, Porsche unveiled its second all-electric model, the Macan EV, nearly 5 years after its first electric model, the Taycan sedan, which was unveiled at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show.

Now, the brand’s third and biggest EV, the Cayenne, with 3.5-tonne towing, has been spotted on the ROVER approval-for-sale register, offered in two variants. This was first spotted by Roland L from the Zapped Au YouTube channel on X.

The variants include:

• Cayenne Electric – $167,800 plus on-roads
• Cayenne Turbo Electric – $259,900 plus on-roads

The 4.9-metre-long SUV will be available with a height of 1.74 metres and a running clearance of 175 mm. 

All variants will weigh between 2.5 and 2.65 tonnes, depending on the powertrain configurations.

Braked towing is approved for up to 3,500 kg, while non-braked towing is limited to 750 kg across these variants.

Battery details for the Cayenne show that it comes equipped with a 113 kWh pack, based on the 800 V architecture, with DC charging and a peak charging rate of up to 400 kW.

This will help get the SUV from 10% to 80% in as little as 16 minutes and can deliver a total range of up to 642 km on the WLTP cycle.

On the power front, the base variant produces 325 kW while the top-spec Turbo model bumps that up massively to 850 kW, helping it sprint from 0-100 km/h in 2.5 seconds.

With Porsche sales in Australia needing a boost, this model could help the brand get the kickstart it needs amid growing competition from premium brands like BYD-owned Denza and Geely-backed Zeekr.

If power and towing are important to Australian luxury car buyers, this model could be worth keeping an eye on. We look forward to getting behind the wheel of it when it lands later this year.

Please sign up for The Driven’s free daily newsletter and get the latest EV news and analysis delivered straight to your inbox. 

Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.

Swedish commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania says it will supply 91 battery electric buses to a local transport operator, in its largest order to date and one of the largest electric bus deals in the country.

Scania will supply 91 of its Fencer F1 battery electric vehicle (BEV) buses to VR Sweden, including 32 in a 4×2 configuration and 59 in a 6×2*4 configuration.

VR Sweden won the contract to provide bus services in Södertälje and Nykvarn from local public transport authority SL in 2025 and will begin operations next year. The purchase of these 91 electric buses is intended to fulfil this contract.

“The investment is an important step in the transition to electrified public transport and enables reduced local emissions, while ensuring attractive and reliable traffic for passengers as well as a good working environment for drivers and maintenance personnel,” said Anders Frykman, bus director at VR Sweden.

Each bus will feature battery capacity of 445 kilowatt-hours (kWh), with 400 kWh of usable energy and a charging time from 5 to 95 per cent of only 73 minutes.

The technical specifications provided by Scania do not state an estimated driving range, but the 73 minutes charging time is based on adding 485 kilometres per hour of charge.

The agreement signed between Scania and VR Sweden includes not only supply but also vehicle service and long-term support. Scania also already boasts production facilities and headquarters in Södertälje.

“With development and battery assembly in Södertälje, and close cooperation throughout the process, we will offer a solution that is both robust and sustainable,” said Christopher Svensson, key account manager at Scania Sweden.

Sign up for The Driven’s free daily newsletter and get the latest EV news and analysis delivered straight to your inbox. 

Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.

When it comes to reducing emissions, regulators need to look beyond passenger cars. Commercial trucks cover a lot more mileage than the average privately owned car, often with much higher tailpipe emissions. Once again, it’s California—the state with the highest levels of EV sales—that’s leading the way in incentivizing electric semi trucks and other commercial vehicles. And it’s using a familiar tool that’s helped boost electric-car sales.

On May 13, the California Air Resources Board (CARB)—which oversees the state’s emissions rules and EV incentive programs—announced a $1 billion rebate program for electric trucks. It’s called the California Clean Fuel Rewards program, but it’s not to be confused with a rebate program for light-duty vehicles that was phased out a few years ago. This time, the rebates will go to medium-duty and heavy-duty vehicles. Starting June 26, fleet buyers will get $7,500 to $120,000 for the purchase of a battery-electric vehicle, with the rebate amount increasing based on vehicle size.

There is a bit of fine print. The lowest rebate of $7,500, which applies to Class 2B vehicles like pickup trucks, can only be claimed by public fleets. And while California has played host to demonstrations of hydrogen fuel-cell semis—such as the “Project Portal” drayage operation at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach run by Toyota and PACCAR (parent company of Peterbilt and Kenworth)—this rebate is limited to new battery-powered trucks. Hybrids, used vehicles, and battery-electric motorcycles do not qualify. But CARB emphasizes that the range of classes covered (2B-8) includes most commercial vehicle types like semis, box trucks, and delivery vans.

Fleets purchasing a qualifying vehicle will get their rebate at the point of sale, though, rather than having to apply for it separately. A 2022 study found that buyers preferred this method for passenger cars, so perhaps that will also drive more interest in electric-truck purchases in California. The state is currently signing up dealers to offer the rebate ahead of its June 26 launch.

The program is funded by revenue from California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard. Established in 2009, it sets targets for the lifecycle emissions (including those associated with production and transportation) of fuels powering the cars and trucks on California’s roads. Companies that don’t meet those targets must purchase credits to account for the difference, similar to what automakers had to do for emissions before the current Trump Administration decided to stop enforcing the rules. CARB expects $250 million to be available for EV rebates this year, with a total of $1 billion through 2030.

The Clean Fuel Rewards program joins the Clean Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project, which California claims has given $1 billion to fund 11,600 “clean” vehicles (including battery-electric and hydrogen) across 2,000 fleets in the state. The two programs will help push California toward a goal, announced in 2020, of 100% zero-emission truck sales by 2045. CARB claims 23% of medium- and heavy-duty truck sales in California were zero-emission in 2024, more than double the state’s target. But there’s still a long way to go to meet that 2045 goal.

A new small electric SUV from MG, called the 4X, featuring the company’s “liquid-solid state battery”, was teased last month by the brand in China.

This model has now been officially launched in the Chinese market, with prices starting at the equivalent  of $A20,500. 

On MG’s parent company’s Weibo page, it said: “The MG 4X is officially launched, with a limited-time subsidised price. Unlock quality travel for the whole family!”.

The company has previously shared multiple images of the SUV, revealing details of the car that could very well head to international markets in the near future.

The outside of the new car shares the design language with the company’s MG4 Urban hatch and MG S5 electric SUV, both of which are available in Australia.

With additional ride height and space in this segment, this could be quite popular with families wanting to go electric for the first time.

The interior also shares a layout with the MG S5, which, of course, was carried over to the MG4 Urban, which launched locally in April 2026.

There is a large screen in the centre, as well as physical buttons for controls underneath the screen. However, the number of physical buttons has been reduced compared to earlier MG electric models, giving the interior a minimal look and ease of use when on the go.

There is also a 10.25-inch screen behind the steering wheel showcasing critical driving information.

The vehicle is longer than the MG4 Urban, coming in at 4.5 metres in length, and g- iven the pricing in China – it is a very compelling feature-packed EV.

This model also comes with a new battery pack, which the company calls a “liquid-solid state battery”, with a capacity of 54 kWh and is expected to deliver up to 510 km of CLTC range, which is likely to be around 400 km on the WLTP cycle.

A larger CATL-supplied battery pack is also available, which bumps the capacity to 64 kWh, adding around 100 km to the car’s range.

The MG 4X comes with a single rear-mounted motor delivering up to 125 kW of power, or a larger 150 kW motor in the top-spec variant. This, of course, is different from the Urban EV hatch, which has a front-wheel drive setup.

The new setup should help this small SUV reach 100 km/h from 0 in around 8 seconds, making it slightly slower than the currently available rear-drive MG4 electric hatchback.

This new MG is now available for sale in China, with exports likely to begin late in 2026. If the price falls below $35,000 in Australia, it could be quite a seller, competing with models such as the BYD Atto 2 or the upcoming GWM Ora 5 and Leapmotor B10.

Sign up for The Driven’s free daily newsletter and get the latest EV news and analysis delivered straight to your inbox. 

Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.