Pure electric cars overtake plug-ins on British roads

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Volkswagen ID.3

Electric cars now outnumber plug-in hybrids on Britain’s roads, new analysis has revealed.

Following a surge in new car registrations, the total number of battery electric vehicles has topped 332,000, says the RAC. The total for PHEV cars is 327,000.

This means electric cars represent 50.4 percent of all plug-in cars on UK roads, up more than four percent on last year’s figures.

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Driving a Volkswagen ID.3

The success of electric cars is coming at the expense of diesel. Average monthly sales of oil-burners have plunged from nearly 48,500 cars in 2019 to less than 22,000 in 2020 – and around 13,000 so far in 2021.

Last month, official figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showed diesel cars barely took 10 percent of the new car market. Just a few years ago, they accounted for more than half of new car sales.

Diesel doomed

RAC director of EVs Sarah Winward-Kotecha said: “Sales of electric cars have eclipsed diesel sales by a huge margin, with three battery-electric cars sold for every one new diesel car that went onto the road.

“This now looks like the end of the road for diesel, as nearly 67,000 fewer diesel cars were registered this September than was the case in September 2019. This represents an astonishing 86 percent drop in just two years.”

The RAC also said the slip in demand for plug-in hybrids is noteworthy, suggesting it could be the start of a trend towards drivers switching straight from petrol or diesel into an electric car.

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Citroen C5 Aircross PHEV

“Demand for BEVs appears to outstripping PHEVs,” said Ms. Winward-Kotecha, “with the latter often cited as a good ‘stepping stone’ between a petrol and diesel model and a full zero-emission battery model.

“Only time will tell whether it’s the case that drivers and fleets looking to upgrade their cars are choosing to leapfrog PHEVs and instead opt straight for BEVs.”

The electric car surge may be set to grow even faster thanks to the recent fuel delivery crisis.

As a result of issues at filling stations, nearly three in 10 motorists said they would now be more interested in going electric when they buy their next car.

More than four in 10 added they expect to make the switch within the next three years.

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