Despite this improved performance, the market is still 7.5% below pre-pandemic levels.
Demand for electrified vehicles continued to grow in August, accounting for almost four in 10 (37.8%) new cars reaching the road. Battery electric vehicle uptake increased by 72.3% to take a 20.1% market share, an August record and the highest recorded since last December. Plug-in hybrid uptake rose 70.0%, to account for 7.7% of new registrations. Hybrid volumes saw a 6.8% increase, comprising 10.0% of the market.
There are now less than four months to go until the expected introduction of a Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate and manufacturers are still awaiting the details.
“Businesses cannot plan on the basis of consultations, they need certainty,” said Mike Hawes, chief executive of SMMT. “And now, more than ever, government must match action to ambition, ensuring there are the incentives and infrastructure in place to convince drivers to make the switch.”
