The SMMT’s latest registration figures for September make interesting reading for the growing number of electric cars with the new registration plate change month sales figures and year to date figures as well.
Electric vehicle uptake has continued to rise, albeit at a slower rate of growth than seen earlier in the year, with the second highest monthly volume of battery pure electric only vehicle (BEV) registrations in history, up 16.5% to 38,116 units.
Although registrations of plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) declined by -11.5% to 12,281 units, overall plug-in vehicles accounted for more than one in five new cars joining UK roads in the month.
As a result, almost quarter of a million (249,575) BEVs and PHEVs have now been registered in 2022 – meaning that UK drivers and fleets have now registered more than one million plug-in EVs, a quarter of which in this year alone.
Hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) registrations, meanwhile, grew by 16.5% to 29,088 units in the month, as petrol powered cars grew 4.3% to 126,873 units and diesels declined by -14.5% to 18,911.
Regarding overall new car sales for the year, petrol to date, diesel and the various types and hybrid and battery powered models, the SMMT said, “While growth is welcome following a torrid first half of the year, total registrations for 2022 to date of 1,208,368 units remain down -8.2% on a weak 2021 performance. This is more than a third (-35.1%) below the first three quarters of pre-pandemic 2019, equivalent to 653,903 fewer registrations.”
Sales of new petrol and diesel cars will be banned in the UK from 2030.
