Britain's business minister Kemi Badenoch said she was "very optimistic" about finding a solution for automakers to avoid looming tariffs on UK-EU trade of electric vehicles (EVs) that could make them costlier for consumers.

"We're regularly raising this with EU counterparts, and it is just simply the nature of trade negotiations and trade policy," Badenoch said at a British auto industry event.

"These things tend to take quite a while, and then get delivered at the last minute. I'm personally very optimistic that we will find a solution."

Under the Brexit trade deal, the sale of EVs between Britain and the EU will attract 10% tariffs from January, unless 45% of the value of the vehicle comes from Britain or the EU under so-called "rules of origin". (Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar; editing by William James)