The newest EV registration numbers from the UK are out and growth continues unabated in the BEV and PHEV segments, while diesel continues to steadily drop. A new record was also noted in the registration numbers of electric transporter vans.
In September, a total of 72,779 electric passenger cars were newly registered in the UK, more than in any previous month and 29.1 per cent more than in the same month last year. Plug-in hybrids saw the largest growth share, with a whopping 56.4 per cent up from the same month last year, marking a total of 38,308 vehicles registered, up from 24,486 in September 2024.
In addition, a new record was also set for electric transporter vans, with 4,262 new electric vans registered in September, marking an increase of 41.1 per cent more than in the same month last year and another new record. In total, however, the UK’s LCV (Light Commercial Vehicle) market was down by 2.1 per cent. As SMMT writes, “Segment performance was mixed, with the overall decline softened by a rise in deliveries of the largest vans, up 3.2% to 32,670 units – the largest segment by volume, representing almost seven in 10 (68.9%) registrations.”
Diesel model registrations fell by -28.2%, from 6.4 per cent to 4.0 per cent, reaching a total of 12,609 vehicles sold in September. Meanwhile, petrol model registrations grew by 2.4 per cent to a total of 141,310 vehicles.
The top-selling electric model came from BYD, with the Seal U, which was introduced on European markets in January 2024. The model is also available as a hybrid, which was introduced later. It is unclear exactly how many of the sold models were electric and how many were hybrid, but BYD sold a record total of 11,271 vehicles, up from 1,150 in the same month last year. This is part of BYD’s market strategy of releasing compact European cars announced in May last year.
In fact, the UK is now the Chinese manufacturer’s biggest international market, according to the Financial Times, as BYD sold a total of 11,271 vehicles in the UK last month, compared with 1,150 in the same month last year.
“Electrified vehicles are powering market growth after a sluggish summer – and with record ZEV uptake, massive industry investment is paying off, despite demand still trailing ambition,” said Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, adding: “The Electric Car Grant will help to break down one of the barriers holding back more drivers from making the switch – and tackling remaining roadblocks, by unlocking infrastructure investment and driving down energy costs, will be crucial to the success of the industry and the environmental goals we share.”
The reason why Hawes mentions the Electric Car Grant specifically is that it was unclear what was happening as the newest release of the subsidies was delayed in August, causing uncertainty in the market. As a result, registration numbers in July were down, and August saw an uptick in EV registrations, while the vehicle market as a whole was down.
smmt.co.uk, smmt.co.uk (transporter vans), ft.com (BYD)
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