Delay EU tariffs to help sales of electric cars, says UK car industry

The cost of electric cars imported from the EU could go up by as much as £3,400 unless a solution is found.
Photograph: Matthias Rietschel/Reuters

The UK car industry has said incoming tariffs between the UK and the EU could raise the price of imported electric cars by as much as £3,400 unless a solution is found by the end of the year.

The Brexit trade deal between the UK and EU gave carmakers until 1 January 2024 to source batteries from within Europe or face 10% tariffs when exporting to each other. However, the supply of European-made batteries has failed to meet demand, meaning carmakers face the new tariffs from next year under these “rules of origin”.