The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) says that 32,721 battery electric vehicles (BEVs) were registered in September – reportedly the best monthly performance ever.
However, new car registrations in general fell 34.4% compared to 2020 to 215,312 units, due to an ongoing shortage of semiconductors, the SMMT said.
BEVs now hold a market share of 15.2% in the UK, while the share of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) grew to 6.4%, meaning more than one in five new cars registered in September was zero-emission capable. Meanwhile, hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) grew their overall market share from 8.0% in 2020 to 11.6%, with 24,961 registered in the month, according to the organziation’s report.
‘The rocketing uptake of plug-in vehicles, especially battery electric cars, demonstrates the increasing demand for these new technologies,’ said Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive. ‘However, to meet our collective decarbonisation ambitions, we need to ensure all drivers can make the switch – not just those with private driveways – requiring a massive investment in public recharging infrastructure.'
This story uses material from the SMMT, with editorial changes made by Materials Today.
