UK battery-EV sales up 10.8 pct due to summer discounts: auto group

LONDON, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) — Battery electric vehicle (BEV) registrations in the United Kingdom (UK) increased by 10.8 percent in August 2024 compared to the same month last year, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said on Thursday.
The society attributed the growth to heavy discounts by manufacturers over the summer and a raft of new models attracting buyers. It said that the market share for BEVs in August reached 22.6 percent, the highest for a month since December 2022.
So far this year, BEV’s market share in the UK has risen to 17.2 percent and is expected to rise further to 18.5 percent by the end of 2024 thanks to increasing model choice.
However, the SMMT pointed out that despite the growth, the figure will still be shy of the 22 percent market share required by the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate.
“Encouraging a mass market shift to EVs remains a challenge, however, and urgent action must be taken to help buyers overcome affordability issues and concerns about chargepoint provision,” said SMMT Chief Executive Mike Hawes.
The overall new car market remained stable in the traditionally quiet month of August, dipping just 1.3 percent to 84,575 units, the data showed. ■