German carmaker BMW's UK unit said the auto industry needed clarity on zero emission vehicles, in a statement released after reports that Britain is set to relax its 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars.

"We cannot comment on speculation, but can say that we and the whole automotive industry needs clarity in the zero emission vehicle topic," a spokesperson for BMW in the UK said on Wednesday. (Reporting by Nick Carey and Sachin Ravikumar, writing by Sarah Young; Editing by William James)