Electric vehicles to hit one million mark this month

The number of pure battery electric vehicles (EVs) on UK roads is expected to hit one million this month, according to new analysis.

More than 967,000 of the vehicles were licensed at the end of November, the RAC Foundation said.

That is up from 674,000 at the end of 2022.

The figures are based on analysis of data from green consultancy New AutoMotive.

RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding said reaching the one million mark will be “a major milestone” but stressed it “needs to be kept in perspective” as EVs only make up about 3% of all cars on UK roads.

He told the PA news agency: “At a time when hard-pressed people are acutely aware of the cost of living, the price of buying and running a battery-powered car both have to stack up.

“Ironically the recent fall in pump prices, hugely welcomed by tens of millions of drivers, does few favours for salesmen seeking to shift EVs based on their relative running costs.

“Car makers are now under a legal obligation to sell a growing percentage of EVs each year.

“But with the public being under no obligation to buy them, the pressure is on for the auto companies to come up with keenly priced offers that will tempt car-buyers to make the switch.”

Under the zero-emission vehicles mandate, at least 22% of new cars sold by each manufacturer in the UK this year must be zero-emission, which generally means battery EVs.

The threshold will rise annually until it reaches 100% by 2035.

Manufacturers which fail to abide by the rule or make use of flexibilities – such as carrying over allowances from previous years – will be required to pay the Government £15,000 per polluting vehicle sold above the limits.

In September last year, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak delayed the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans in the UK from 2030 to 2035.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “It is great to see the number of zero-emission vehicles on our roads growing rapidly, showing many drivers are choosing to make the switch already.

“Our zero-emission vehicle mandate will support manufacturers on the path to 2035, while boosting the economy, and we have spent more than £2 billion to support the transition to electric.”