New EV Cars Outsell Diesels For Second Month Running

Published Date: 9th Aug 2021

July 2021 has seen ‘bumper growth’ of new registrations of plug-in vehicles according to the SMMT (The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders).

This could be a significant change in trends, as electric plug-ins have only outstripped new diesel registrations on three occasions over the last two years; June/July 2021, previous to that we have to look as far back as April 2020.

While EVs seem to be finally overtaking diesel new registrations, the figures from the SMMT also shows that new petrol cars are still a significantly more popular choice for UK motorists looking for a brand-new car.

The figures published by the SMMT also indicate, that a lot of motorists are not ready to make the switch to full electric just yet. Instead, they are looking at hybrid vehicles as a ‘stepping-stone'.

Full electric vehicles accounted for 9% of sales, while hybrids accounted for 20% (8% where plug-in hybrids and self-charging hybrids accounted for 12%), diesels accounted for just 7.1% of new registrations.

The government has set a target of 2030 for the ban on sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles in effort to meet it’s 2050 'Net Zero’ target. Boris Johnson is very keen on Green issues but some quarters of the motoring industry have cast doubts on the viability of both targets.