British luxury car manufacturers, including Aston Martin, McLaren, Lotus and Bentley, will be exempted from meeting the government's strict requirements to achieve net zero emissions, the newspaper The Daily Telegraph reported in connection with the decision of the British authorities against the background of the introduction of tariffs by the US administration.
According to the publication, premium car manufacturers, which produce relatively small numbers of vehicles, will no longer have to comply with the decree introducing a ban on the sale of new cars with petrol engines until 2030. In the British automotive industry as a whole, the ban on the sale of new cars with petrol, diesel and hybrid engines has been postponed until 2035.
Previously, a number of the world's leading car manufacturers have already announced their transition to the production of electric vehicles in the coming years. By the end of the decade, British companies, including Jaguar Land Rover, also intend to reorient themselves towards the production of such vehicles. In total, by 2030, the largest automakers plan to spend $ 515 billion on electric vehicles and batteries.
However, the tariff wave from Washington may, as experts note, make adjustments to such plans. US President Donald Trump announced on April 2 the introduction of tariffs on products from 185 countries and territories. Universal tariffs of 10% came into force on April 5, individual tariffs will come into force on April 9. In addition, the US administration introduced a 25% tariff on all imported cars from April 3. Despite the fact that Washington has set a minimum tariff of 10% for the UK, British cars will be subject to a 25% tariff.
The UK exports around 100,000 cars to the US annually, worth around £7.6 billion ($10 billion). The most popular British car models sold on the US market are Range Rover, Bentley, Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce, Lotus and Mini. In total, the US market accounts for 17% of UK car exports. It ranks second after the EU market (54%).