Electric car purchases overtook diesel models in the UK for the first time last year. Still, new car sales fell to their lowest level in three decades, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Some 1.61mn cars were registered last year, 2 per cent down in 2021 and even lower than the 1.63mn registered in 2020, when the industry was forced to shut down during the pandemic, according to the SMMT’s annual figures published today. «Manufacturers have struggled to make the vehicles in the quantity they need,» he added. Electric car sales rose more than a quarter in 2022, accounting for 16.6 per cent of sales, while diesel demand fell to less than 10 per cent.
Battery electric «is now the second most popular power-train among UK new car buyers, supplanting diesel for the very first time», said Hawes. Petrol cars remained the most popular option for buyers last year, accounting for more than half of sales. Hybrid models were 11.6 per cent of sales, and plug-in hybrids that can recharge were 6.3 per cent of sales. Electric vehicles «still account for less than 2 per cent of vehicles on the road, so there is a long way to go before we have decarbonised road transport», Hawes added. However, one in three new cars sold in December was pure electric, a figure inflated by a late delivery of Teslas from China during the month.
New rules come into effect next year stipulating that a percentage of each carmaker’s sales must consist of zero-emission vehicles. The levels are expected to begin at 22 per cent in 2024 and rise to 100 per cent by 2030. As a result, the SMMT expects overall sales to increase by about 15 per cent this year as manufacturers can make more cars for customers on their waiting lists, despite the worsening more comprehensive economic outlook.
Without a boost from the government these figures will not be where they should. We can't postpone this zero-emissions target any longer, the planet won't take it for much longer.
ReplyDeleteIt's good to hear things are going in the right direction but it's already way too late so I want to see more, much more done in this regard.
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