Electric car sales could overtake fossil fuels by 2027
Electric power could be the dominant form of propulsion for all new cars sold in the UK as early as 2027, with more than 1.3 million electric cars registered each year, according to forecast analysis by Go Ultra Low, the government and industry-backed campaign.
This means that, according to Go Ultra Low, the UK is on target to meet a government forecast that all new cars and vans will be electrically-powered by 2040.
New car sales for 2015 totalled 2.6 million, so Go Ultra Low’s projection assumes that sales will be maintained at the current high level.
Meanwhile, new figures from car-buying website Carwow reveal that west London is the most eco-car-friendly place in the UK.
Drivers in the west of the capital (areas with a W postcode prefix) are the most likely to buy low emission “eco” cars such as pure electric or hybrid than anywhere else in Great Britain, closely followed by those in Oldham, Southam and north-west London.
After the latest new car registration figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders revealed a 12.1% rise in registrations of alternatively fuelled vehicles, Carwow analysed purchases made via its website over the last three years to reveal trends in buying electric and hybrid cars.
It also polled 1,276 car owners from around the UK to find out more about their attitudes towards environmentally friendly vehicles.
The data shows that 3.13 per cent of all vehicles purchased in west London were hybrid or electric, closely followed by Oldham, with 2.83%. In the Middlesex part of west London, 2.8% of cars in Southall are electric/hybrid, with London NW (for north west) postcodes registering 2.75%.
Remaining in the capital, East London had a take-up of 2.63%, then heading west again Harrow had a 2.61% take-up.
Then came came Carlisle and Dundee, with 2.57% and 2.5% respectively.
Narrowly missing out on the top 10 was Shrewsbury (2.45%), Leeds (2.42%) and Sunderland (2.4%).
62% of the respondents said that they believed all cars on the roads would be electric or hybrid by 2025,further supporting Go Ultra Low’s claims.
James Hind, founder of www.carwow.co.uk, said: “It’s really interesting to see that people are more taken with the idea of an eco-friendly car due to the lower running costs. Clearly motorists are more bothered about the impact a car will have on their bank balance than the environment.
“London is leading the way when it comes to electric and hybrid car purchases, but it was really interesting to see northern areas like Oldham and Carlisle in the top 10.”
According to Go Ultra Low, more than 28,000 electric cars were registered in the UK in 2015, while this year started with the best period for EV uptake since records began.
Poppy Welch, head of Go Ultra Low, said: “The huge interest in electric vehicles and their subsequent rapid rise in uptake has been spectacular so far, with more than 60,000 EVs registered in the past five years. These rises are just the start of the electric revolution as Go Ultra Low analysis suggests that electric vehicles could dominate the new car market as early as 2027.”
Go Ultra Low analysed a series of market forecasts and trends for plug-in vehicle uptake considering forecasts by government, the Committee on Climate Change, the RAC Foundation, Auto Express magazine and other industry authorities.