UK eases EV sales mandate in Starmer response to Trump tariffs

FILE PHOTO: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets with U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House on February 27, 2025 in Washington, D.C., U.S. Carl Court/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

LONDON: Prime Minister Keir Starmer is taking the first steps to help UK businesses withstand US tariffs by easing the government’s electric vehicle (EV) sales mandate.

The changes will give carmakers more time to prepare for the 2030 phase-out of combustion engine cars from sale, according to a release from the Department for Transport.