A quarter of new cars sold in the UK were electric in November
One in four new cars registered in the UK last month were fully electric, a transportation research group said, touting the new figures as evidence that the country’s EV sales mandate is working.
The figures represent the highest monthly market share for EVs in nearly two years, according to New AutoMotive, which published the data. The November number is ahead of the 22 per cent target that manufacturers need to hit this year under the country’s EV sales quota.
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November’s results bolster the case made by clean-energy advocates such as New AutoMotive, who have opposed auto-industry efforts to water down the UK’s EV mandate. The government said last week it will review the rules following an outcry from carmakers, which have complained that sales have suffered because the mandate isn’t stimulating demand.
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“Ministers must not pull the rug from under this progress as they revisit UK policy on electric vehicles," said New AutoMotive Chief Executive Officer Ben Nelmes.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds vowed support for the sector shortly after Stellantis NV announced plans to close a van factory in the country that’s produced Vauxhalls for 120 years.
While the 25 per cent share outstrips the UK’s target for 2024, the year-to-date figure will still be lagging. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders is poised to release official November sales results on Thursday.
EV sales have held up better in the UK this year than they have in the European Union, where the removal of incentives has stifled demand in key countries like Germany.
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The UK introduced rules requiring that 22 per cent of new car sales this year be zero-emission, rising to 80 per cent by the end of the decade. Automakers face fines of as much as £15,000 ($19,100) per vehicle if they fail to comply, though they can avoid penalties by using a credits-trading system and exceeding requirements in later years.
Some dealers have introduced steep discounts to stoke EV demand.
The robust EV sales means there are enough ZEV credits that no manufacturers should have to pay fines this year, New AutoMotive said.
“The ZEV mandate is working, delivering affordability and choice for drivers, and huge private investment in public chargers," said Fiona Howarth, chief executive officer of EV leasing firm Octopus Electric Vehicles.
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