UK ELECTRIC VEHICLE SALES OVERTAKE PLUG-IN HYBRIDS FOR THE FIRST TIME

For the first time the number of pure battery electric vehicles (BEV) on UK roads has overtaken the sales of plug-in hybrids, recent figures have shown.

With the recent fuel crisis that was brought on by driver shortages that impacted fuel delivery, this has prompted 3 in 10 drivers to consider the switch to an EV (Electric Vehicle).

RAC’s reporting comes from the analysis of Society Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) data and RAC’s own survey of more than 2,400 drivers.

Following the highest ever single month of new BEV registrations in September – an extra 32,721 were sold, despite overall car sales figures being down significantly on recent years – the RAC estimates there are now 332,299 on the roads, compared to 327,183 plug-in hybrids. BEVs now represent 50.4% of all plug-in cars on the UK’s roads since 2010, up from 46.3% at the same time last year.

It predicts that by the end of this year, the total number of BEVs will likely hit a new record of at least 175,000. It suggests the number could have been significantly higher, had vehicle production not been affected by the global semiconductor and component shortage.

Average monthly sales of new diesel cars have fallen from 48,481 in 2019 to 21,814 in 2020 and just 13,067 so far this year. Petrol sales have also declined significantly, from an average of 123,534 a month in 2019 to 75,265 in 2020 and 69,066 so far in 2021.

RAC’s reporting suggests that drivers in the UK are looking to move away from petrol and diesel models and are bypassing the PHEVs in favour of BEVs.

This research also found that nearly 3 in 10 (28%) of 2,419 drivers surveyed have said that their interest in getting an electric car next time around they change their vehicle has increased as a result of the recent fuel delivery crisis, 43% of this group plan to make the switch in the next 3 years.

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