A total of 9,406 ultra low emission vehicles (ULEVs) were registered in the first quarter of 2015, as revealed by the latest figures published by the Department for Transport.
The figures represent a rise of 366% in registrations from the same period in 2014. Transport minister, Andrew Jones welcomed the surge in registrations saying that the figures were a “great example of Britain leading the way in developing sustainable transport options that are affordable for everyone”.
Jones added: “I am delighted to see such a huge rise in the number of people buying ULEVs…the government is investing £500 million over the next five years in making them more accessible to families and businesses across the country.”
Registrations of Mitsubishi’s Outlander plug-in hybrid vehicle have led the charge in new ULEV registrations, with 4,596 registered in the first quarter of 2015. The next highest number of registrations were for Sunderland-manufactured, electric vehicle the Nissan Leaf which recorded 1,705 registrations.
In total, 872,000 vehicles were registered for the first time in Q1, 2015. The average CO2 emissions for those new vehicles registered was 122g/km – a fall of 3% compared to new cars in Q1, 2014.
.
