New AutoMotive’s latest data revealed that electric vehicle (EV) sales in the UK rose by 60% year-on-year in April.
EVs were also the only market segment to experience a growth in sales and market share, which increased by 5% to make up 16% of the market.
The region with the highest number of new cars registered was Oxfordshire with 49% of newly registered cars being electric, which means that now one in every two cars in the county is electric.
Other reginal highlights include Wimbledon with 33% of new car registrations being electric and Birmingham at 23%.
Fuel Type | Registered vehicles April 2023 (provisional) | Market share April 2023 (%) | Registered vehicles April 2022 | Market share April 2022 (%) |
Petrol | 61,462 | 50.42 | 59,722 | 58.8 |
Hybrid | 31,326 | 25.7 | 28,224 | 25.43 |
Pure electric | 19,234 | 15.78 | 12,014 | 10.82 |
Diesel | 9,779 | 8.02 | 10,854 | 9.78 |
Other | 99 | 0.08 | 188 | 0.17 |
Electric vans also experienced an increase in new registration, now holding 7% of the market – a year-on-year growth of 55%.
“It is fantastic to see such strong growth in sales of electric cars since a year ago. Electric cars accounted for almost 16% of all new registrations in April 2023, which represents a staggering 60% rise in the number of EV sold,” said Ben Nelmes, CEO at New AutoMotive.
“The shift towards electric vehicles is not just about reducing climate risk; it’s about benefiting motorists. British drivers increasingly understand making the switch to an electric vehicle is beneficial for them – they are cheaper to run, require less maintenance, and improve local air quality.”
“We are pleased that the government’s latest proposals for a Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate – a policy we have been calling for – are set to increase the supply of electric vehicles, enabling more people to access the benefits of going electric. However, Ministers should not be complacent. The government should monitor the market and raise targets if manufacturers are able to increase the supply of electric cars even further.”
The ZEV mandate will begin next year, setting a target for 22% of manufacturer sales to be electric in 2024.
Despite promising market growth for EVs the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has warned this week that high energy costs and inadequate charging infrastructure threatens to “soften demand” for EVs.