Sales of new electric vehicles have overtaken petrol cars in December, according to new data, as Labour reinforces its pledge to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by the end of the decade.
New data from New AutoMotive has found that the battery electric vehicle market share has reached 31.4 per cent, ranking it ahead of all other fuel types.
Across the whole year, electric vehicles captured 19.7 per cent of the total market share, an impressive jump compared to the 16.6 per cent share in the previous year.
The research, from the Electric Car Count, found that 41,442 new EVs were registered, a staggering 52.8 per cent year-on-year increase.
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December saw electric vehicles have almost one-third of the total market share
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Petrol and diesel fell to 26.9 per cent and 4.6 per cent of the market, respectively. Experts are confident that electric vehicles will continue to capture the majority of the market share in the coming years.
It comes as the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate moves into its second year. It requires manufacturers to have a certain percentage of sales come from electric vehicles, starting from 22 per cent in 2024 and rising to 28 per cent by the end of this year.
The total percentage of sales from 2024 reached 19.7 per cent, experts said this proved how the ZEV mandate was working well, bringing the total above the estimated minimum compliance level of 18 per cent.
Ben Nelmes, CEO of New AutoMotive, said December marked the first month where electric cars were the most popular choice for motorists across the UK.
He added: “This impressive progress is being driven by smart Government policy that rewards first movers and incentivises progressive carmakers, who are investing billions in the net zero transition.
“As Ministers weigh the future of this policy, they should bear in mind that it is delivering value for motorists and taxpayers, as well as attracting investment into the UK.”
Manufacturers are also moving towards the electric transition, with 50 per cent of Mini sales coming from EVs in December. Jaguar also impressed with EVs making up an impressive 59 per cent of sales.
The ECC data noted how manufacturers will not face any fines this year from the ZEV mandate, as they could potentially see a charge of £15,000 per polluting vehicle above the threshold.
Firms which produce more electric vehicles, including Tesla, BMW, Hyundai and Mercedes, are sitting on twice as many credits (78,000) as the firms with a shortfall actually need (36,000).
Vicky Read, CEO of ChargeUK, commented on the “clear story” that record EV sales were being seen across the UK, firing back at the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), saying that consumer demand was strong enough.
She noted that ChargeUK had “delivered on our side of the equation” with an impressive 35 per cent growth all year, meaning a new charger is installed roughly every 25 minutes.
Read added: “What we do need is delivery barriers removed (and so Government’s announcements on Christmas Eve about grid, planning and streetworks are very helpful) and the policy foundations on which we’ve planned our investments – the ZEV mandate targets – left alone.
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Brands which focus more heavily on electric vehicles are able to trade or sell their ZEV ‘credits’
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“Yes, let’s work together with the Government, as automotive and charging sectors, to build on strong driver demand, with incentives and clear information to make it possible for even more drivers to switch.
“But any outcome of the ZEV mandate consultation that results in changes to the current trajectory of fully electric vehicles coming onto our roads, is a sure-fire way to see the charging rollout slow down rather than speed up.”
