As We Progress With The Second Half Of This Unprecedented Year, Despite The Overall Unpredictability, The Updates On The New Car Registrations Continue To Remain Predictable: Electric Vehicles Continue To Defy The Downward Trend!
Electric Cars: The Basics
For those of you new to zero-emission electric driving, we recommend a read of the following articles:
- Types Of Electric Vehicles: A Short Guide
- Should I Buy An Electric Car In 2021?
- Top 20 Jargons Used In The Electric Vehicle Industry!
- UK Plug-In Electric Car Grant 2021
- What Is The Difference Between Conventional Hybrids and Plug-In Hybrids?
- Electric Car Home Charging OLEV EVHS Grant
- Best Electric Cars 2021
- Electric Cars Range: What Is WLTP?
Sign up to the e-zoomed Electric Living newsletter
Before moving onto the latest results i.e. the July 2020 new car registration update, let us briefly remind ourselves of the June 2020 registrations update.
June 2020 witnessed a continued increase in the registration of battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), despite a significant contraction in the sales of petrol and diesel internal combustion engine (ICE) cars. Petrol new car registrations were down by 39.9% in June 2020, compared to June 2019. Diesel performed even worse, with a 59.8% decline. Of greater consequence is the significant change in market share for internal combustion engine cars. Diesel market share decreased from 25.6% to 15.8% between June 2019 and June 2020. Petrol market share declined from 65.6% to 60.5% in the same period.
Despite the overall challenging macro economic environment, due to the impact of Coronavirus, electric vehicles, in particular, all-electric battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) have demonstrated incredible resilience. The reasons are many, but one key factor is fast emerging as a core driver for their success. Pure electric cars, with the benefit of zero tailpipe emissions, are fast becoming the consumer favourite technology for mobility i.e. e-mobility. The increased awareness of the harmful consequences of air pollution and climate change, have now become everyday topics of discussion at homes across the country. Households are keen to do their part in creating a better environment and in turn, a better society in the UK.
In fact, in July 2020, the latest new car registration update from The Society of Motor traders and Manufacturers (SMMT), demonstrates once again this fundamental shift in consumer attitudes. Diesel cars have seen a further decline in market share between July 2019 to July 2020 from 24.7% to 16.5%. The same is the trend with petrol cars, witnessing a decline from 64.3%% to 58% between July 2019 to July 2020. In terms of registrations, diesel registrations have declined by 25.9% in July 2020 compared to July 2019, with petrol registrations increasing slightly by 0.3% in July 2020.
But in stark contrast registrations of battery-electric vehicles have increased an impressive 259.4% in July 2020, compared to July 2019. Moreover, BEVs have seen a further increase in market share in July 2020 (4.7%) compared to July 2019 (1.4%). Year-to-date market share for BEVs now stand at 4.7% compared to 1% a year ago. Interestingly, July 2020 has witnessed a significant increase in plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), increasing by 320.3% in July 2020 compared to July 2019. PHEV market share now stands at 4.3%. Year-to-date new car registrations remains down by 41.9% across all technology types.
We expect this trend to continue, as consumers seek ‘active travel’ as a preferred choice of travel, to include electric bikes and electric scooters. Moreover, given the broader challenges to the UK economy, we expect consumers to remain less confident of making large purchase decisions, like cars. Consumers that do make such decisions will continue to favour mobility solutions with a better impact on the environment.
So bottom-line, the first 6 months of 2020 new car registrations, will be reflected in the next 6 months of 2020. More electric cars and fewer internal combustion engine cars! A perfect scenario for the fast approaching World EV Day.
