Electric vehicles recorded their best ever start to the year, new data show, as more people look to become more environmentally friendly.
Some 17 per cent of new car sales were electric between January and April this year, pushing sales over 100,000 in 2024, according to New AutoMotive, an independent transport research organisation.
It said this is the earliest in the year this milestone has ever been achieved, with sales rising more than 10 per cent on April 2023.
Pricier manufacturers BMW, Audi and Mercedes performed strongly while lower cost brands including MG, Hyundai and Kia also performed well.
Meanwhile, the number of electric car sales reached 17.2 per cent of the total new car market share, putting the UK on track for 1.9 million car sales throughout 2024.
Of this 1.9 million, more than 300,000 are expected to be fully electric. Electric van sales stayed at 5.25 per cent, year on year.
Ben Nelmes, CEO at New AutoMotive, said: “It is great to see electric car sales growing in April. Electric cars offer an array of benefits to owners, from cheaper running costs to a better experience behind the wheel – not to mention the ability to drive without contributing to climate change or air pollution.
“It’s great to see another 20,000 motorists choose to go electric. This is good news for households, since switching to electric cars is one of the parts of net zero that will save people money.”
Industry experts say the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, a government policy tool that requires car manufacturers to sell a certain percentage of electric vehicles each year, has helped.
Colin Walker, head of transport at the Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit, said: “The Government’s ‘ZEV mandate’ policy is having the desired effect – driving up competition, and so driving down the price of EVs enabling more people to make the switch to cheaper, cleaner driving.
“With the likes of BMW and Mercedes meeting, or even exceeding, their EV sales targets, the laggards are going to be irked that they didn’t shift their strategies fast enough to reflect the global drive towards electrification. But what matters is that this competition is bringing down costs for British drivers. This is the war for motorists, rather than the war on motorists.
“As more new EVs are sold, the faster our second hand market will grow.”