EV sales rise again as petrol and diesel plummet

Registrations of new electric cars rose in November, again bucking a wider decline in the new car market.

A total of 38,581 new EVs were registered last month, according to the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), representing a 58.4% jump over last November.

At the same time, every other fuel type declined, meaning EVs accounted for 25.1% of all new registrations, their best performance since December 2022. Petrol and diesel both suffered double-digit drops – 17% and 10% respectively – while hybrids were down 3.6% and plug-in hybrids down around 1%. Overall, the new car market shrank by 2% in November.

Petrol remained the best-selling fuel type but BEV was once again the second-biggest segment.

November was the second consecutive month EV registrations have exceeded the ZEV mandate target but the industry has warned that the overall yearly average will still fall short of the 22% required.

While the latest figures cement the UK’s place as Europe’s second biggest EV market after Germany, the SMMT insisted demand for EVs remained ‘weak’ and the recent uplift was down to ‘unsustainable’ discounting by car makers. It said that sales would have to increase by another 53% next year to meet the 28% target set for the end of 2025.

Once again asking for the government to step in to support the industry, SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said:
“Manufacturers are investing at unprecedented levels to bring new zero emission models to market and spending billions on compelling offers.

“Such incentives are unsustainable – industry cannot deliver the UK’s world-leading ambitions alone. It is right, therefore, that government urgently reviews the market regulation and the support necessary to drive it, given EV registrations need to rise by over a half next year.

“Ambitious regulation, a bold plan for incentives and accelerated infrastructure rollout are essential for success, else UK jobs, investment and decarbonisation will be at further risk.”

However, Vicky Read, CEO of ChargeUK, urged the government to stand firm on the existing ZEV mandate targets. She commented: “The fourth month in a row of sustained and solid new EV sales show that consumer demand for these cars is there in spades.

“The charging infrastructure needed to support these vehicles is also there, with 71,000 public chargers currently in place and thousands more being installed every month.

“It’s imperative that we keep this charging momentum going and this is why the ZEV Mandate’s sales quotas are so important. They give charging investors the confidence to keep deploying ahead of demand.”