UK sales of electric vehicles (EVs) soared by a third in the first half of the year, with new registrations reaching 224,841 according to industry figures.
Despite strong sales growth, the market share of battery electric vehicles was just 21%, below the government-issued mandate of 28% of new car sales for 2025, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
The organisation also noted that to achieve even this level of sales performance, discounts totalling £6.5bn over the past 18 months were required.
According to the SMMT’s Automotive Business Leaders Barometer which involved a survey of industry chief executives, over half (55%) reported that they believe the UK is “significantly behind” plans to meet EV-based net zero targets by 2030.
SMMT argued that a lack of governmental purchase and charging incentives, combined with financial disincentives, including a recently introduced tax on vehicles worth more than £40,000, were behind the muted progress.
The group called for amending the Expensive Car Supplement to remove the majority of electric vehicles from its scope and in general lowering sales taxes on new EVs. The overall new car market rose 6.7% in June.
“A second consecutive month of growth for the new car market is good news, as is the positive performance of EVs,” said Mike Hawes, chief executive of SMMT.
“That EV growth, however, is still being driven by substantial industry support with manufacturers using every channel and unsustainable discounting to drive activity, yet it remains below mandated levels.
“As we have seen in other countries, government incentives can supercharge the market transition, without which the climate change ambitions we all share will be under threat.”
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