The race to end our reliance on petrol and diesel motors is accelerating. In just four years, electric vehicles’ share of new cars bought in the UK has shot up from 1.7% in 2019 to 16.5% in 2023. But there is still a long way to go to meet the target of eight in ten new cars sold at the end of the decade being electric, alongside a complete ban on new petrol and diesel cars.
There are reasons for optimism. New EV sales continue to grow at a double-digit rate, and polling conducted for Onward shows that more drivers are eager to make the switch.
Although EVs only account for 3% of all cars on the road, more than one-third of drivers planning to buy a new car in the next year say they intend to go electric. Among all those considering a new car purchase over the next few years, less than half expect it to be petrol or diesel. Our polling also shows that EV drivers are overwhelmingly satisfied with their choice, with fewer than one in ten dissatisfied with vehicle range or their charging experience.
But there are still roadblocks ahead. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) recently downgraded its forecast for new EVs’ 2024 market share to 18.5%. This is well below the 22% sale target in the UK’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate that will ramp up to deliver an entirely electric new car market by 2035.
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