The Tesla Model 3 was the bestselling car in the UK market in December and is the second bestselling car this year-to-date, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
Data from the industry body reveals that Tesla sold 9,612 units of its electric Model 3 in December 2021 and has sold 34,783 units this year-to-date. Only the Vauxhall Corsa is trumping the 3 for units sold this year-to-date at 40,914 registered.
Overall, 2021 was the most successful year in history for EV uptake with more BEVs joining UK roads than in the previous five years combined.
The SMMT says 190,727 new BEVs and 114,554 new PHEVs joined Britain’s roads meaning 18.5% of all new cars registered in 2021 can be plugged in.
“A record-breaking year for the cleanest, greenest vehicles is testament to the investment made by the industry over the past decade and the inherent attractiveness of the technology,” said Mike Hawes, SMMT’s chief executive.
“The models are there, with two of every five new car models now able to be plugged in, drivers have the widest choice ever and industry is working hard to overcome Covid-related supply constraints.”
Looking at the European market as a whole, the UK finished 2021 as the second largest market for new BEV registrations.
However, the UK is in ninth position overall in Europe for market share highlighting that there is still a lot of progress to be made. This is despite the fact the UK has the most ambitious targets of all major markets with the end of sale of new internal combustion cars scheduled for 2030.
The recent announcement to reduce both the purchase incentives and grants for home chargers puts the governments and industry’s net-zero ambitions at risk, says SMMT.
Coupled with this is the slow pace of growth of on-street chargers where currently on average 16 cars potentially share one standard charger.
Mr Hawes said: “The biggest obstacle to our shared net zero ambitions is not product availability, however, but cost and charging infrastructure. Recent cuts to incentives and home charging grants should be reversed and we need to boost the roll out of public on-street charging with mandated targets, providing every driver, wherever they live, with the assurance they can charge where they want and when they want.”