Sales of electric cars hit a record high last month as motorists responded to soaring pump prices. Electric and hybrid vehicles accounted for nearly six in every 10 new cars sold in September, revealed trade body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Almost five battery electric cars were sold every minute - more than double the rate three years ago.
The surge in demand has been fuelled by a leap in petrol and diesel prices since the start of the Iran war. The switch is thought to have accelerated as the nationwide average for diesel has hit a record £2 a litre, with fears of worse to come.
Diesel and petrol market share falls
Diesel cars accounted for just 4% of all new cars sold last month, although the figure of just over 14,000 was actually higher than a year ago. While petrol is still the most popular type of car, with sales of more than 131,800, sales were down 6.7% on last year and the market share has dropped from 45.2% to 37.6%.
Battery electric cars are catching up fast, with sales reaching almost 100,000 in September, a 36% jump on a year ago. The latest figures also reveal the creeping popularity of Chinese-made electric cars, with UK buyers flocking to snap-up gadget-packed vehicles that are often cheaper than Western rivals.
Chinese models lead the market
It was demonstrated by the fact that Britain's best selling car in September - of the most important months in the whole year because of a number plate change - was the Jaecoo 7 model. The SMMT data showed 350,518 new cars were registered in September, up by more than 12% on last year. It marked a tenth consecutive month of growth and the strongest September since 2017.
The plate-change month is one of the year's most important, typically accounting for around one in seven annual registrations. Ian Plummer, chief customer officer at online vehicle marketplace Autotrader, said: “These sales figures underline the strength of the UK’s new car market and a record number of electric car sales reflects the hard work and commitment of the automotive industry to build something that consumers can get behind.
“The volume of electric sales reflects the record electric interest we saw on Autotrader in August as this consumer demand converts into September sales. It also marks six consecutive months of new electric cars being the most popular fuel type on Autotrader, driven by the rising fuel costs we’ve seen since conflict erupted in the Middle East in Spring.
“Whilst there are still plenty of challenges to tackle in the electric transition, it’s important to recognise milestone moments when they happen. A highly competitive new car market is helping to give consumers more choice and value across all fuel types whilst accelerating the electric transition.”
Targets remain a challenge
Almost 456,000 new electric cars have now been sold in the first nine months of the year, accounting for 26.2% of all registrations but significantly below the 33% target for the industry this year. The sector would need to sell another 265,000 electric cars in the final three months to hit the target. Manufacturers that fail to do so risk being fined, prompting them to offer big discounts to buyers.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said, “September’s record EV performance is a major achievement. Drivers are increasingly embracing the growing choice of models made available and high fuel prices are also undoubtedly giving more consumers reason to consider going electric. The industry’s commitment is clear with billions of pounds of investment in new models, new technology and incentives.
“Despite all these factors, uptake remains behind mandated targets and, whilst flexibilities help, the UK still has the world’s toughest targets and highest energy costs. The Mandate review is an opportunity to review those factors, to build on this momentum and support consumers but, in doing so, strengthen business viability and UK competitiveness.”
