The millionth electric vehicle (EV) was registered for British roads last month, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
Specifically, aome 20,935 EVs were registered in January, a rise of 21.% year on year, taking the overall total since 2002 to more than one million.
Meanwhile, plug-in hybrids recorded volume growth of 31.1% to take 8.4% of the market, while hybrid volumes fell 1.2% with a 13.1% share.
The EV market share for January also grew year on year to 14.7%, although this is below the full 2023 performance of 16.5%.
In total, some 142,876 new cars were registered, an uplift of 10,882 units in January 2023, the best performance for the month since 2020 and the 18th consecutive month of growth.
The new car market grew 8.2% for the month, driven primarily by the fleet market, which rose by 29.9%, while private retail uptake fell 15.8%. Fleets accounted for 63.2% of new cars registered, up from 52.7% last year.
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According to the SMMT, the increase in EV uptake can be attributed, in part, to the UK government’s zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, the government’s pathway toward all new cars and vans being zero-emission by 2035, becoming law.
Under the new law, 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans sold in Great Britain will now be zero-emission by 2030, increasing to 100% by 2035.
While the EV market has shown signs of slowing due to increased tax and inflation pressures, more than 100,000 EVs are still estimated to be sold in 2024 – totalling some 414,000 units, according to SMTT.
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: “It’s taken just over 20 years to reach our million EV milestone – but with the right policies, we can double down on that success in just another two. Market growth is currently dependent on businesses and fleets.
“[The] government must therefore use the upcoming Budget to support private EV buyers, temporarily halving VAT to cut carbon, drive economic growth and help everyone make the switch.
“Manufacturers have been asked to supply the vehicles, we now ask government to help consumers buy the vehicles on which net zero depends.”
Achievements and innovations in EV charging will be celebrated at the third annual CiTTi Awards, which will be held on 26 November 2024 at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Nominations officially open in March 2024. Please visit www.cittiawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UK’s transportation sector.
