Figures released recently by Go Ultra Low, a campaigning body, reveal that the overall number of pure electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles registered has risen every month so far in 2018, with one example being registered every nine minutes in the UK to the end of June. The first half of 2018 saw 28,054 registered to drivers, which represents a 25% increase on the same period in 2017, which had also been the most successful year-to-date for the plug-in car market.
Simultaneously, the government has launched its ‘Road to Zero’ strategy, which sets out ambitious proposals to enable the deployment of thousands of new chargepoints. In fact, ‘ambitious’ is a key word, as the actual number of them, while growing, is actually insufficient to serve the needs of those plug-in vehicles presently running about the UK.
Plug-in hybrids delivered the highest volume of registrations, with more than 21,000 having arrived on UK roads in 2018 thus far, from manufacturers as diverse as Nissan and Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi and BMW. Meanwhile, bolstered by the launch of its latest model in April, the Nissan LEAF continues to be the most popular pure electric car sold here and, with its enhanced range and overall performance, it is setting trends in the category. A further 1,501 took to the roads between April 1st and June 30th, taking the total number of new LEAF registrations in 2018 to 3,511.
The latest figures reveal a small but significant increase in the appetite for pure electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles among both private and business motorists, although it is government departments and a smattering of commercial organisations that constitute the majority. Following a strong performance in the first three months of the year, the second quarter of 2018 witnessed a further 14,655 cars find homes, which is a 10% increase on the first. This takes the total number of pure electric and plug-in hybrid cars registered to date to 161,409.
Inevitably, these figures are driven by commuters from London and the South East, the region where new registrations have been highest, for obvious reasons (Congestion Charge Zone, ULEV Zone and so on) and 9,880 pure electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles were registered there in the first six months of this year, 36% of the total number. Other regions joining the electric vehicle movement include the South West (4,003), West Midlands (3,890), East Anglia (2,487) and Yorkshire (1,941) rounding out the top five.
According to Jesse Norman, Electric Vehicles Minister: “There has never been a better time to own an electric vehicle and these latest figures show growing numbers of consumers are making the switch. Our mission is for all new cars and vans to be effectively zero-emission by 2040. That is why we are ensuring that the UK is the best place in the world to build and own an electric vehicle. The Road to Zero strategy sets out one of the most comprehensive support packages in the world for the transition to zero-emission vehicles, including measures which will help enable hundreds of thousands of new chargepoints across the UK.”
Naturally, both Nissan and Toyota build their hybrids and EVs in the UK. However, they still carry higher invoice values and, while justifying the premium prices is becoming easier, running an equivalent petrol-powered car is still less costly.
Poppy Welch, Head of Go Ultra Low, stated: “After a strong year in 2017, the plug-in car market has continued to accelerate. With ongoing Government incentives, increasing product choice and an expanding charging infrastructure, it is difficult for drivers to ignore the environmental and cost-saving benefits these vehicles bring and we expect this trend to continue as we move into the second half of the year.”
Go Ultra Low is a collaborative campaign and is the first of its kind, bringing together a consortium of vehicle manufacturers, government and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). You can find out more about plug-in and hydrogen-powered cars and vans at www.GoUltraLow.com.
However, it is worth bearing in mind that despite its best intentions, the motor industry is swamped by an over-abundance of petrolheads. Understandably, they desire performance and applying the instant delivery potential of electricity, despite the weight of the hardware and batteries, is a means to, in some cases, supercar performance. Environmental costs take a back seat in those cases.
In addition, the donning of a ‘clean and green’ halo ought to be offset against what was always known as the ‘well-to-wheel’ cost implication. Opt for hydrogen power, which is still very rare and enforced by a complete lack of refuelling infrastructure, and you must be aware that the gas is produced by the fossil fuel refineries. Most of our electricity in the UK still comes from fossil-fuel-fired power stations. The result is an invidious vicious circle. Until our nation obtains its electricity supply from nuclear, air, or wave-motion technology and no longer relies on digging, or drilling, and thereby consuming our fast-diminishing natural resources that will take millions of years to regenerate, even diesel seems like a better option.
