It has been a historic year for the booming electric and hybrid car industry. Latest research has revealed that registrations of the futuristic engines were up 27 per cent year-on-year.
Go Ultra Low, a ground-breaking joint government and industry campaign, which aims to increase purchase consideration of electric vehicles has revealed that in 2018 there have been 60,000 registrations of plug-in hybrid or electric vehicles, with the total number of vehicles for the past 12 months passing a landmark 130,000.
Poppy Welch, Head of Go Ultra Low, said: “2017 was a stellar year for electric vehicle registrations with strong growth of 27%, demonstrating the massive consumer appetite for 100% electric and plug-in hybrid cars.
“There are already more than 130,000 electric vehicles on UK roads, a figure that could pass 190,000 this year as new models come to market and consumers reap the cost saving benefits of electric driving.”
Across the country, several regions stood out with London (9,274) and Eastern England (8,685) registering the most electric vehicles (EVs), a rise of 42% and 21% respectively on 2016. Meanwhile, the South West and Scotland grew the fastest, boosting plug-in uptake by 140% and 70% respectively against the previous year.
Not all electric or PHEVs are created equal and some are more popular than others. So what are the top five electric vehicles currently leaving the forecourts?
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV: 32,048 registrations
Launched in 2014, Mitsubishi’s PHEV has outsold its nearest rival by a staggering number and, Mitsubishi have confirmed that strong sales are continuing into 2018.
Nissan Leaf: 19,624 registrations
The flagship EV of Nissan, a company who a deadly serious in developing a wide range of electric vehicles.
BMW 330e: 9,143 registrations
A popular fleet vehicle with the business community. BMW only expected to sell a little over 1,000 cars on the first year of launch in 2016. The German brand recalculated that estimation quite quickly.
BMW i3 (i3 REX): 9,024 registrations
With a recent facelift, the i3 is improving on almost a perfect vehicle with cool looks and a smooth interior, a fantastic advocate for EV.
Mercedes-Benz C350e: 8,867 registrations
German luxury can also come with serious green credentials, and though this Merc subtly hides its electrification in the bumper, this company car favourite has excellent CO2 emissions.
CarSupermarket.com has a number of PHEV options. Check out our wide range today.