Registrations of battery electric vehicles increase in month of overall decline

The automotive trade body said declines were recorded across all buyer types, with fleets falling 1.7 per cent, and the low-volume business market declining 12.8 per cent. Private purchases were down 11.8 per cent.

The fall was driven by double-digit drops in petrol and diesel vehicle deliveries, down 14.2 per cent and -20.5 per cent respectively. The uptake of hybrid electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles fell too at 1.6 per cent and 3.2 per cent. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) recorded growth, with new models driving the strongest growth this year, up 24.5 per cent to reach a 20.7 per cent share of the market.

UK new car buyers can choose from over 125 different BEV models, which is  an uplift of 38 per cent over the last 10 months. SMMT noted that the average BEV has a higher upfront cost than an ICE equivalent, but widening choice and manufacturer discounting means that around one in five BEV models now has a lower purchase price than the average petrol or diesel car.