Regardless of all of the challenges of the pandemic, 2020 was a landmark yr when it got here to gross sales of battery electrical autos with twice as many bought final yr in comparison with 2019, and a complete of greater than 200,000 registered since 2010.
The RAC’s evaluation of recent figures from the Society of Motor Producers and Merchants (SMMT) reveals December alone noticed extra zero-emissions autos registered than ever in a single month – 21,914.
In whole in 2020, 108,205 battery-electric autos had been bought, making them extra widespread than plug-in hybrid fashions (66,879 registered) and solely rather less widespread than standard (non-plug-in) hybrids (110,087 registered) – though all electrified varieties of autos nonetheless noticed report excessive gross sales in 2020 when in comparison with earlier years.
Although ranging from a decrease base, the expansion in electrical automotive gross sales is spectacular, with 6.6% of all new autos registered in 2020 being zero-emission, up from simply 1.6% in 2019 and 0.7% in 2018. Because of this getting on for a fifth of all automobiles registered final yr (17.5%) had been zero-emissions succesful – up from simply 7.4% in 2019.
“The top to an surprising and, from the motor business’s perspective undesirable 2020, noticed report gross sales of battery-electric autos, offering proof that, from small beginnings, momentum is now gathering tempo,” stated RAC knowledge perception spokesman Rod Dennis.
“There’s an extended solution to go, with solely a tiny fraction of the whole 31.2m automobiles on the UK’s roads absolutely zero-emission, however the path is turning into clear.
“The sight of extra electrical autos on our roads, many sporting quantity plates with the brand new ‘trademark’ inexperienced flash, would possibly start to make drivers who’re contemplating altering their automotive look into whether or not ‘going electrical’ is sensible for them.
“Points round charging infrastructure apart, it’s the chilly laborious economics of shopping for or leasing a automotive which may but maintain them again with pure electrical automobiles persevering with to command a premium record worth over their petrol and diesel equivalents.”
