Sales of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) increased by 261.8% in June compared to the same month in 2019.
BEVs secured 6.1% of the market share last month, up from 1.1% in 2019, according to new figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
This is, however, a drop from April which saw BEVs scoop up 32% of the market due to a huge drop in vehicle sales as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite the drop in market share, sales of BEVs have increased since April, coming in at 8,903 last month. This is a marked increase compared to June 2019, when 2,461 were sold, and shows signs of a recovery in the market as sales close in on figures seen in March 2019, a month that saw a record-breaking 11,694 sold.
Overall sales of new vehicles are still lower than in 2019, however, with sales down by -34.9%. Of these, diesel has been the hardest hit, with a drop of -59.8%.
This year to date, BEVs have seen an increase in sales of 158.6%, coming in at 30,957 compared to last year’s 11,975.
Several BEVs have, however, been knocked off the bestseller list. In April, the Tesla Model 3 hit the top spot, closely followed by the Jaguar I-Pace. The Nissan Leaf also made an appearance in the top ten. In June, only the Tesla Model 3 made it into the top ten at number nine.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said that whilst the increased demand for vehicles is “welcome”, its not indicative of a recovery and is “barely a restart”.
He explained that many of these figures could be attributed to consumers picking up orders placed before the pandemic and that “appetite for significant spending remains questionable”.
