EV month

The UK has recorded its bestever month for electric car sales with over 68,000 fullyelectric cars sold in March, according to figures released by New AutoMotive.

The data – according to a report published in transportandenergy.com – shows that electric vehicles (EVs) had their strongest ever start to the year, with sales of EVs up 38 per cent on 2024 in the key month of March.

The data, it said, signals a sustained rise in demand for electric vehicles as consumers are attracted by running cost savings and a better driving experience.

Tesla’s UK registrations stood still in March, essentially unchanged from a year earlier. Amid surging sales of EVs, Tesla therefore shed some of its share of UK EV registrations, while European brand Volkswagen gained a significant slice of the electric market, the published report said. Tesla is still the UK’s leading electric brand, but looks likely to be eclipsed by others in the coming months, it added.

Petrol, diesel cars At the same time, sales of petrol and diesel cars continue to decline, with petrol registrations falling by 25 per cent in Q1 2025 when compared to Q1 2024, and diesel registrations continued to slide by 15 per cent, accounting for just 5.5 per cent of all new cars.

Under the UK’s Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) mandate, carmakers are required to meet a 28 per cent BEV sales target this year. However, New AutoMotive’s analysis suggests that compliance can be achieved with closer to 23 per cent EV sales, thanks to policy flexibilities that allow manufacturers to offset targets with cleaner hybrid and petrol models.

With BEV sales expected to strengthen over the course of the year, manufacturers are expected to collectively hit that target by the end of the year. Some already have, with VW – the UK’s biggest car seller – currently achieving compliance. BMW, too, have a surplus of ZEV mandate credits.

Tariffs on trade with the US are unlikely to have an impact on the UK’s EV market, given the limited imports of EVs from the US and limited exports of EVs to the US. Dan Caesar, CEO of Electric Vehicles UK, said, “One in five new car sales being battery electric over the last eight months is testament to end-user interest in efficient technology; especially in such challenging economic conditions.”

He said an average of 24 pc of new car sales since the General Election, as opposed to 17.5 per cent in the prior year, “shows that the Government’s zero-emission vehicle resolve is encouraging confidence in EVs, as are the stories of real-life drivers.”

James Court, Director of Public Policy at Octopus Electric Vehicles, commented: “The UK’s EV policy is paying off – EV sales are surging, with March figures up 38 per cent year-on-year, while consumer choice of high-quality, affordable EVs is growing. We must keep up this momentum so that drivers continue to benefit from the latest technology, lower running costs, near maintenance, and cleaner air.”

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