BMW Ford Nissan And Toyota Secretly Lobbied UK Government: Joint Letter From Five Major Carmakers Obtained Via Freedom Of Information Request Reveals Push To Allow Internal Combustion Engines And Hybrids Beyond 2035 Zero Emission Deadline
According to The Guardian, BMW, Ford, Nissan, Toyota, and parts maker Bosch wrote a joint letter to UK ministers in April 2026 calling for an “open technology approach” that would allow petrol, diesel, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid vehicles to remain on sale beyond the 2035 zero emission deadline. The letter was obtained via a freedom of information request.
The companies argued the government should match the EU, which in December 2025 weakened its own targets to allow 10 percent non-electric car sales after 2035. They claimed lower-carbon steel and synthetic e-fuels could offset extra emissions; a position experts have widely dismissed as unviable at scale.
The UK government responded firmly, with a Department for Transport spokesperson stating the 2035 ban is not up for negotiation, pointing to UK EV sales up 35 percent year-on-year and a £2 billion electric car grant programme. The government did acknowledge it will review the ZEV mandate by 2027.
Polestar called the lobbying push a potential “historic policy failure.” Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit described it as King Canute trying to hold back the tide.
The industry employs 30,000 people in the UK. That is the real leverage here.
Check out our previous coverage of the EV transition on The Trusted Times.
