UK government data shows that the Britain is on an EV fast track, with the number of plug-in vehicles more than doubling since last year.
There were 45,326 plug-in and hybrid cars registered at the end of 2015, according official data. Just 20,522 were on the books 12 months before.
Compare that to 2010, and just 134 electric vehicles were registered according to Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) data.
Staggeringly, the rise in sales of traditional vehicles over the same 12 month period between 2014-2015.
A plug-in car grant scheme that kicked off in the UK early 2011 has definitely helped the EV gain traction in the market place – it offers up to £4,500 (NZ$9700) off the price.
But even though the growth rates are impressive, the 45,000-odd electric vehicles on sale don’t even register next to the UK’s 31 million petrol and diesel-powered vehicles.
Nissan GB’s electric vehicle manager, Edward Jones, told the Daily Mail that he believed the United Kingdom is nearing the “tipping point” of mass adoption of EVs.
‘Each year we see thousands more motorists switched on to the capability, performance, and reliability of pure electric motoring,’ he said.
‘With current electric vehicle ranges enabling more than 90 per cent of daily driving needs, we believe the UK is at a tipping point for mass EV adoption.’
UK’s TOP PLUG-INS
- Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV 16,100
- Nissan Leaf 11,219
- BMW i3 3,574
- Renault Zoe 3,327
- Tesla Model S 2,086
- Toyota Prius Plug in 1,501
- Volkswagen Golf GTE plug in hybrid 1,359
- Vauxhall Ampera Plug in hybrid 1,250
- Audi A3 e-tron 1,218
- BMW i8 1,022