Record month for electric cars as new car sales rise 12 per cent

A record number of electric cars were registered in the UK in September, helping new car sales to their strongest September since 2017, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

New car registrations rose by 12 per cent to 350,536, the tenth month in a row of growth. September is one of the two busiest months of the year for car sales because of the new number plate, which this year was the 76 plate.

Electric cars

A record 99,201 battery electric cars were registered in September, up 36.3 per cent on a year earlier, equivalent to almost five every minute. They made up 28.3 per cent of the market.

Plug-in hybrids also grew strongly, up 55.5 per cent to 59,571, a 17 per cent share. Hybrids that cannot be plugged in fell by 4.3 per cent to 45,839.

Petrol cars remained the most popular single type, with 131,864 registered, but that was down 6.7 per cent. Diesel registrations rose by 11.5 per cent to 14,061, despite record diesel prices.

Best sellers

The Jaecoo 7, made by the Chinese manufacturer Chery, was the best-selling car of the month, ahead of the Tesla Model 3 and the Ford Puma. Chinese brands have grown rapidly in the UK market, offering cars at lower prices than many established rivals.

Who is buying

Fleet registrations, cars bought by companies, rose by 9.6 per cent to 190,998, more than half the market. Private buyers increased their purchases by 13.9 per cent to 149,166, and registrations by smaller businesses rose by 37.3 per cent.

So far this year, 1,739,271 new cars have been registered, up 10.2 per cent.

The electric car target

Under the Government's Zero Emission Vehicle mandate, 33 per cent of the new cars each manufacturer sells this year should be zero emission. So far this year, battery electric cars have taken 26.2 per cent of the market. Manufacturers can use flexibilities in the rules, such as borrowing credits from future years, to meet their obligations.

What the industry says

Mike Hawes, chief executive of the SMMT, said: "September's record EV performance is a major achievement. Drivers are increasingly embracing the growing choice of models made available."

But he warned that "the UK still has the world's toughest targets and highest energy costs", and called for the mandate to be reviewed.

A boost for the region?

Car making has deep roots in and around Birmingham, from the old Longbridge works to Jaguar Land Rover's plant at Castle Bromwich and its engine factory near Wolverhampton. Rising sales of electric cars matter for the region's car makers and suppliers as they move away from petrol and diesel engines.

Jaguar Land Rover, which announced thousands of job cuts in September, is in the middle of switching its Jaguar brand to electric cars.

Charging

The number of public chargers has grown quickly, but drivers without off-street parking say access to affordable charging is still a barrier.

Buying an electric car

Electric cars still usually cost more to buy than petrol equivalents, but they can be much cheaper to run, especially for drivers who can charge at home on a cheap overnight tariff. Prices have been falling as more models come onto the market, including from Chinese manufacturers, and a growing number of second-hand electric cars are now available.

Running costs

With petrol and diesel prices at or near record highs this year, motoring groups say the gap in running costs between electric and fuel-powered cars has widened. However, the cost of charging at public rapid chargers can be much higher than charging at home, and drivers are advised to compare prices before setting off on long journeys.