Fudged legislation governing electric vehicle (EV) targets was formally enshrined in law on Wednesday (3 January) following the enactment of the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate.
Last year, prime minister Rishi Sunak pushed back the deadline for the phase-out of sales of petrol and diesel cars and vans by five years to 2035, calling the decision "pragmatic and proportionate".
In doing this, and altering the government's approach to achieving net zero by 2050, Sunak effectively trashed several of former PM Boris Johnson's key green policies.
In the official press release ushering in new EV legislation, the Department for Transport said changes were backed by over £2 billion in government funding that positions the UK at the forefront of the global shift to EVs.
It also framed the mandate as the most ambitious regulatory framework for EV transition worldwide.
Under the new law, 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans sold must be zero emission by 2030, escalating to 100% by 2035.
Anthony Browne, technology and decarbonisation minister, said: "We are providing investment certainty for the charging sector to expand our charging network which has already grown by 44% since this time last year.
"This will support the constantly growing number of EVs in the UK, which currently account for over 16% of the new UK car market."