The UK is predicted to see a 13% increase in new EV registrations throughout 2023 despite dropping to a 30-year low in 2022, new research has said.
According to the car insurance team at Comparethemarket, EV sales also accounted for almost a fifth of all new car sales in the UK. This is expected to continue to grow as the number of EV chargepoints expands across 2023.
This EV expansion has already seen records broken with Zapmap having revealed in May 2023 that chargepoint installations reached “unprecedented levels” in March and April.
During these two months, over 2,000 new EV chargers were installed propelling the total number of chargers in the UK to over 42,000. Alongside this, the average number of new chargers per month in 2023 increased by 75% compared to the same period in 2022.
Despite the positive rollout of EV charging infrastructure, the adoption of EVs continues to lag behind other countries within the EU. Malta tops the list for the highest expected increase in EVs across 2023 with 44.3%, closely followed by Norway with a predicted 41.3% increase in adoption.
The UK’s expected increase of 13% sees the nation sit 18th in the European table for predicted EV adoption. This is expected to grow to a 45.1% increase by 2025 (ranking 16th) and a 122.9% increase by 2030 (ranking 21st).
This perhaps showcases the shortcomings of the UK’s decarbonisation goals and the urgent need to support the rollout of both EV charging infrastructure and incentives for the adoption of clean mobility solutions.
Despite the UK’s shortcomings, Ireland’s EV sector continues to take off. The research revealed that the country ranked 2nd for the percentage increase in EVs on the road in 2021 and 2022 with 58.7%. The number of EV chargepoints also surged in 2021 and 2022 with a 108.7% increase.
“Switching to an electric car is not only a great way to reduce your carbon footprint, but owners of zero emission vehicles can also reduce running costs,” said Julie Daniels, motor insurance expert at Comparethemarket.
As more of us opt for greener vehicles, the choice of insurance policies among providers for electric cars will increase too, so it’s a good time to see what’s out there. Always check your policy’s terms and conditions to ensure you have an adequate level of cover for your needs.”
The release of this research comes a time when the RAC has casted doubt as to whether the UK will meet its target of having six or more rapid or ultra-rapid EV chargers at every motorway service station in England by the end of 2023.
In its Taking charge: the electric vehicle infrastructure strategy published in March 2022, the UK Government stated that every motorway service area will have “at least six rapid chargers by the end of 2023, with some having more than 12.”
However, using the EV charging map of 119 motorway services in England, provided by Zapmap, the RAC revealed that only 23% to 27% had the target number of chargepoints.
