Fleet uptake of BEVs rose ten per cent in May

Battery electric vehicle (BEV) registrations rose 6.2% in May to claim a 17.6% market share, up from 16.9% in the same month last year, according to SMMT data. 

Uptake is still driven by the fleet sector, where volumes rose 10.7%. Private retail BEV uptake, meanwhile, fell by 2.0% (just 98 registrations short of May last year). 

Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) recorded the highest growth of all powertrains in May, up 31.5% to reach an 8.0% market share, while hybrids (HEVs) rose 9.6%, maintaining their status as the third most popular fuel type after petrol and battery electric at 13.2% of the market.

The SMMT says that while this performance is encouraging, it is still below the trajectory mandated on manufacturers by government in its Vehicle Emissions Trading Scheme, which demands 22% of new vehicles sold this year by each brand must be zero emission. 

The SMMT says that providing universal access to incentives would dramatically increase BEV uptake and accelerate the decarbonisation of road transport. Temporarily halving VAT on new BEV purchases, combined with a cut in the VAT levied on public charging from 20% to 5% – in line with domestic use – would drive up demand, putting more than a quarter of a million EVs on the road instead of petrol or diesel cars over the next three years.

Overall, the UK new car market had its 22nd consecutive month of growth as registrations rose 1.7% in May,

Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said: "As Britain prepares for next month’s general election, the new car market continues to hold steady as large fleets sustain growth, offsetting weakened private retail demand. Consumers enjoy a plethora of new electric models and some very attractive offers, but manufacturers can’t sustain this scale of support on their own indefinitely. Their success so far should be a signpost for the next government that a faster and fairer transition requires carrots, not just sticks."