One BEV now registered every minute
The total of electrified vehicles now accounts for more than a third – 35.4% – of the new car market in the latest set of figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
The demand for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) was such that a new one was registered every 60 seconds in the month – and is set to accelerate to one every 50 seconds by the end of the year. BEVs recorded an 87.9% increase to account for 16.0% of all new registrations for the month, a market share broadly consistent with that seen so far this year.
BEVs are expected to take a 17.8% market share or 330,000 units, a slight decrease on April’s outlook, while PHEVs are set to achieve 7.2% of the market with 134,000 units.
Hybrid (HEV) volumes also grew, although their overall market share fell to 11.3%, and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) registrations saw a significant uplift for the second month in a row as uptake rose 79.1% to account for 8.1% of the market.
The total new car market grew 28.3% in July with 143,921 new vehicles registered, as supply chain challenges ease and production increases. Although still below pre-pandemic levels, the market saw its biggest growth since the summer of 2020 when pent up demand from the first Covid lockdown unleashed sales.
A record 3,056 public chargers have also been installed – which is one charger for every 35 new plug-in vehicles registered, up from one in 58 last year.
Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said: “The industry remains committed to meeting the UK’s zero emission deadlines and continues to make the investments to get us there. Choice and innovation in the market are growing, so it’s encouraging to see more people switching on to the benefits of driving electric. With inflation, rising costs of living and a zero emission vehicle mandate that will dictate the market coming next year, however, consumers must be given every possible incentive to buy. Government must pull every lever, therefore, to make buying, running and, especially, charging an EV affordable and practical for every driver in every part of the country.”
Melanie Shufflebotham, COO of Zapmap, responded to the figures, stating: “The latest figures are clear evidence that electric vehicles continue to grow in popularity, with drivers keen to play their part in the transition to a greener future. We support the SMMT’s call for the Government to make it easier for people to buy, run and charge EVs, and we hope people will be encouraged by the continuing growth in infrastructure.
“At the of July 2023 there were more than 45,700 charging points across the UK, across more than 26,800 locations – that’s a significant 40 per cent increase since the same time last year – and the number of ultra-rapid devices for en-route charging has increased by 90 per cent.”
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