Alternatively-fuelled vehicles make up 15% of cars sold on carwow

Carwow has reported steady rise in Alternative Fuel Vehicles (AFV) sales, which now represent 15% of all purchases made by its customers this year.

Head of OEM UK, Sepi Arani, comments: “Our AFV sales have continued to accelerate beyond expectations and despite the rocky path of 2020. Year-on-year increases were phenomenal – 157% for petrol hybrid sales and 107% for petrol plug-in hybrid. October’s AFV sales accounted for over a 10% of share of total sales.

“A snap poll of our car buyers this week sees 52% of them committed to upgrading to an EV in the next 5 years.  Add this sentiment to our continually growing EV sales, we are confident that the scene is set for a very promising and potentially fast-paced transition to EVs in the short-term.

“News of a government decision to fast-track the ban of traditional fuel vehicles to 2030 will have a mixed reception from consumers and dealers alike.  However, ultimately, more needs to be done to build consumer confidence that the charging infrastructure is robust enough to support EV dominance on the UK’s roads. And whilst moving the petrol and diesel ban to 2030, is testament to the success of manufacturers and their retail networks in empowering consumers to make the switch to electric – as seen by our sales figures – EV prices still need to come down to make them affordable for the masses. Motorists alone, however, cannot be used as the scapegoat to plug any budget gap created from the economic challenges faced this year.”