A new electric vehicle is registered in the UK every minute

New figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that new car registrations in July 2023 were 28.3% up on July last year, the 12th consecutive month of growth. 

23,010 of the 143,921 registrations were BEVs (Battery Electric Vehicles), an 87.9% increase on the 12,243 registered a year ago.

HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicles) saw an 18.9% increase in registrations, although their market share fell slightly. PHEV (Plug-in hybrid) registrations jumped 79.1% to make up 8.1% of the market. The combined registrations of the electrified vehicles now represents over a third of the whole market.

In June 2022, petrol engine cars accounted for 45.7% of new registrations and this has fallen to 40.4%. BEVs market share has grown from 10.9% to 16%. 

While the SMMT point out that there is a new BEV registered every 60 seconds, they predict that this will rise to one every 50 seconds by the end of the year and to one every 40 seconds in 2024.

The efforts to ensure that chargepoint availability keeps up with demand continues apace with a record high of 3,056 new standard public chargers being installed, equal to one new charger for every 35 new plug-in vehicles registered. In the same quarter last year the ratio was only one for every 58 cars. However, to meet the target of  of 300,000 chargepoints by 2030, the installation rate needs to be three times what  it is now.

Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said: ‘The industry remains committed to meeting the UK’s zero emission deadlines and continues to make the investments to get us there. Choice and innovation in the market are growing, so it’s encouraging to see more people switching on to the benefits of driving electric. With inflation, rising costs of living and a zero emission vehicle mandate that will dictate the market coming next year, however, consumers must be given every possible incentive to buy. Government must pull every lever, therefore, to make buying, running and, especially, charging an EV affordable and practical for every driver in every part of the country.’