New zero emissions vehicles in the UK have jumped by a fifth compared to last year – but drivers with older cars continue to cling on to them, according to AA data.
The average age of a car remains at 10 years compared to the eight of pre-pandemic, according to analysis of vehicle licensing statistics by the AA.
Comparing 2024 with 2023, in the UK there were:
- 2,605,000 vehicles registered for the first time, an increase of 3%
- 410,000 zero emission vehicles registered for the first time, an increase of 20%
- 382,000 zero emission cars registered for the first time, an increase of 22%
At the end of December 2024, compared to December 2023, in the UK there were:
- 41.7 million licensed vehicles, an increase of 1%
- 1,394,000 licensed zero emission vehicles on the roads, an increase of 37%, including 1,287,000 zero emission cars, an increase of 38%
At the end of 2024 zero emission vehicles accounted for 3.4% of all road using vehicles, an increase of 0.9 percentage points from the end of 2023.
Jack Cousens, the AA’s head of roads policy, said:
“The march of the electric vehicles continues, with the registration of new electric cars boosted by more than 22% in the past year to make them 19.1% of all new cars sold. The transformation of the UK car population is clearly happening.
“However, a combination of financial pressures on car owners and the legacy of 2017’s switch to a standard rate of Vehicle Excise Duty* has led to owners of older cars clinging on to them. With standard car tax now at £195 a year, hanging on to a vehicle that could be paying as little as £20 a year in tax is a huge incentive.”
“Overall, today’s figures present a mixed picture with a leap in those embracing new technology, whilst others were holding on to their older vehicles longer perhaps reflecting the economy and reticence to go electric.”
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