Electric vehicle sales accelerate during July

One new EV was registered every 60 seconds in the UK during July, according to new data.

Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show the total UK new car market grew 28.3% in July with 143,921 new vehicles registered, with electrified vehicles accounting for more than a third (35.4%) of the total sales.

• Hybrid volumes grew, although their overall market share fell to 11.3%.
• Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) registrations saw a significant uplift for the second month in a row as uptake rose 79.1% to account for 8.1% of the market.
• The biggest increase, however, was for battery electric vehicles, which recorded an 87.9% increase to account for 16.0% of all new registrations for the month.

It’s predicted sales of EVs will accelerate to one every 50 seconds by the end of the year, and up to one every 40 seconds by the end of 2024.

The bestselling EV during July and for the year to date was the Tesla Model Y.