The latest figures for car buying trends has revealed another jump in the sales of electric vehicles, but closer analysis of the data shows that it is the more affluent areas of the UK that are leading the way.
Sales statistics published by consultant New Automotive, based on DVLA figures for May, show that year on year hybrid and EV market share has risen by nine per cent, at a time when petrol and diesel has fallen by eight per cent.
Interestingly, the analysis from New Automotive only uses car counts from brands which have a previous history in petrol and diesel production, so automatically discounts Tesla. This omission means that the share for EVs may be even higher. The leading brands for EVs in the UK is currently Jaguar, with more than half of the classic marque’s sales an EV. Another success story is that of Fiat, who took the bold step of announcing they would only be selling EVs from July 2023, EVs now represent 36 per cent of the company’s total sales.
According to the DVLA’s figures, Maidstone, Peterborough and Oxford are the leading postcodes for EVs registered.
“Amid global supply chain disruption and a cost-of-living crisis driving people away from petrol and diesel, it’s encouraging that electric cars continue to grow in popularity,” said Ben Nelmes, co-founder of New AutoMotive.
“Electric cars are a great way to beat the rising cost of petrol and diesel. Driving a mile in an electric car is around a fifth of the cost of driving a mile in a petrol or diesel car.
“While the steady growth of electric cars is welcome, the UK can and should be going faster. Ministers need to make the UK the best place for manufacturers to sell their electric vehicles, and a strong California-style ZEV mandate which will drive up car sales is the first step.”