Workbench Logo
Workbench Logo
Workbench Logo

Half-year ULEV registrations exceed 2014 total

According to Go Ultra Low, in the period between January and the end of June, 14,586 vehicles eligible for the government’s Plug-in Car Grant were registered in the UK – equivalent to one every 18 minutes.

By comparison, 4,096 were registered in the same period of 2014, and whole-year figures totalled 14,498. It’s estimated that, by 2020, 5% of new vehicle registrations in the UK, some 100,000 vehicles, will be ultra-low emission vehicles.

SMMT data shows the product mix has changed dramatically in that time. In the first six months of 2014, 37.5% of ULEV registrations (1,538 units) were plug-in hybrids or range-extended electric vehicles. This year, that group of vehicles accounted for 67.1% of ULEV registrations (9,541 units) – a 520% increase, compared to the 83.0% increase for pure electric vehicles, which totalled 4,681 units.

Transport Minister Andrew Jones said: “Soaring demand across the UK shows that more and more people view ultra-low emission vehicles as the right choice for them. The Government is investing £500 million over the next five years to help position Britain as a world leader in the technology, supporting skilled jobs and driving economic growth.”

Hetal Shah, Head of Go Ultra Low, added: “Being just six months in to 2015 and having already exceeded last year’s total plug-in car registrations is testament to consumer confidence in this capable and cost-effective technology. The year-on-year rises give us great confidence in the future of electric cars as we move towards an ultra low emission future.”

For more of the latest industry news, click here.

Alex Grant

Trained on Cardiff University’s renowned Postgraduate Diploma in Motor Magazine Journalism, Alex is an award-winning motoring journalist with ten years’ experience across B2B and consumer titles. A life-long car enthusiast with a fascination for new technology and future drivetrains, he joined Fleet World in April 2011, contributing across the magazine and website portfolio and editing the EV Fleet World Website.

Leave a comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.