The UK government’s consultation on ending sales of new non-zero-emission HGVs closed in March 2026, two months after opening alongside the £18 million grant top-up. The options consulted: phasing out vehicles up to 26 tonnes by 2035 and all new diesel HGV sales by 2040. A regulatory framework is expected to be set out within the year.

Consultation closure matters for two planning horizons. For fleet replacement cycles: a diesel tractor bought in 2028 would reach mid-life in 2033 and disposal around 2035 — squarely inside the proposed phase-out window for its class, which is how residual-value risk enters today’s purchase decisions even without a law yet. For infrastructure: a dated endgame converts charging investment from speculative to preparatory — the same logic that made Norway’s toll-exemption-to-2030 and Germany’s exemption-to-2031 bankable.

The UK would join the EU’s manufacturer-CO₂ framework (90% cut by 2040) as the second large market with a legislated diesel sunset. Our Subsidy Watch UK entry tracks the framework as it crystallises; the newsletter will flag the decision document the week it lands.