RE: POSITIONS4 Jul 2019 23:46
Automotive
Battery EV sales soar as plug-in hybrids suffer in sluggish car market
shard plug in charger charge point electric vehicle EV
Battery car sales in the UK are up more than 60 per cent since January
Michael Holder
Michael Holder
04 July 2019
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Battery electric vehicle sales are only bright spot as UK car market shrinks again, industry figures show
Battery electric vehicle (EV) sales were one of the few bright spots in a sluggish UK car market last month, which saw overall sales of low emission vehicles decline thanks to slowing demand for plug-in hybrid cars, latest industry figures released today show.
Demand across the entire UK car market fell for the fourth consecutive month by almost five per cent in June, as consumers continue to turn their back on diesel vehicles and the on-going uncertainty around Brexit impacted economic confidence.
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The low emission vehicle segment also experienced its first drop in demand in more than two years, trade body SMMT said.
But while sales of plug-in hybrid vehicles fell more than 50 per cent last month compared to June 2018, following the removal of government grants last year, sales of battery EVs shot up more than 61 per cent, making it one of the few segments of the UK car market to enjoy demand growth.
Overall, battery EV sales have soared by 60.3 per cent over the first half of 2019 compared to the same period last year, with British motorists registering almost 12,000 new EVs over the past six months. In comparison, just under 7,500 new EV sales were registered in the first half of 2018.
The UK is now the fifth largest market for battery EVs in Europe, behind the Norway, the Netherlands, France, and Germany,