Seventeen in every 100 cars sold in September were EVs, the latest EV sales data from New AutoMotive’s Electric Car Count (ECC) has revealed.
According to the figures, new car registrations for all vehicles were down by 20% in September.
Among the mass market brands, BMW made a strong showing in September – more than doubling its total EV sales to 2,212 units compared to 1,003 units sold in September 2021.
The American manufacturer Tesla took the largest share of the market in September, with almost 1 in 3 new EVs being one of its vehicles.
Volkswagen, and Audi – both of the same Volkswagen AG group – saw substantial falls in EV sales. South Korean manufacturer Hyundai Group, which owns the Kia and Hyundai marques, also saw significant falls in EVs sold during September, which is typically a strong month.
ECC also tracks regional registrations using a three-month rolling average, which masks big variations in EV market share from month to month. Among the DVLA regions with the highest share of EVs, Oxfordshire topped the list with 31% share followed by Anglia with 22%, North East England with 22%, and London and Birmingham with 20% each.
ECC’s Co-Founder and Head of Policy Ben Nelmes attributed the drop in new car registrations to the ongoing cost of living crisis, which took a toll on the new car market.
“Consumers and businesses may be delaying or rethinking large purchases and investments. While the recent turbulence in financial markets is unlikely to have had much impact on September’s sales figures, they may prove to be an issue going forwards as the cost of financing the purchase of a new car increases with interest rates,” Nelmes said.
According to ECC, 2022 saw weaker new car sales figures than 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic was at its peak. “Any drop in sales of EVs makes it harder for the UK to meet its carbon budgets and slows efforts to reduce our reliance on expensive, imported fuels,” Nelmes said.
A full breakdown of electric vehicle sales by manufacturer, region and details of data sourcing and methodology can be found here.