The number of electric cars in the UK has more than tripled in the third quarter of 2019 compared to 2018, according to statistics from the Department of Transport.
The quarterly ‘Vehicle Licensing Statistics’ report revealed registrations of battery electric cars have increased by 234%.
The figures show that in Northern Ireland, low-emission vehicles rose by 18% in the year to end of September, while the total number of vehicles overall went up by 2%. There are now over 2,800 low-emission vehicles in the NI region, amongst 1.2m vehicles overall.
Across Great Britain, diesel car registrations declined by 16% compared to the same period in 2018, while new low-emission vehicles registered rose by 39%. In total 1% fewer new vehicles were registered.
2018 saw 59,945 sales of electric cars in the UK overall, a record year according to the SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders).
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Greg Wilson, founder of Belfast-based car insurance comparison websites, CompareNI.com and Quotezone.co.uk, said that while the total number of low-emission vehicles remained relatively low their popularity was growing fast. He added that the main reason electric cars have historically cost more to ensure is because of the “lack of data insurers had about electric vehicles due to the relatively small numbers on UK roads.
"The impressive growth in the number of drivers opting for an ultra-low emission vehicle (ULEV) over a petrol or diesel motor is very welcome news - not only because these vehicles are better for the environment, but also because the growing number of ULEVs on Britain's roads should gradually help to reduce the cost of insuring these cars.”
Quotezone and CompareNI's Greg Wilson
Previous research by tech innovation funding specialists, MPA found that almost two thirds (65%) of Brits agreed that we should drive less to save the environment. The statistics, found through market search company YouGov, also showed that 69% believe electric cars are the future of the motor industry.
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This increase is positive as the ‘Road to Zero’ deadline is fast-approaching, in which the UK government has promised to end the sale of new conventional petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2040. This unprecedented transition to electrification will see the demand for lithium-ion batteries grow 19 fold by 2030 – vastly outstripping supply, as reported by the Financial Times.
Manufacturers will have to innovate to keep up with customer demand. An example of this is The Nextrode Project, who is working with the University of Warwick to “revolutionise the way electrodes for Li-ion EV batteries are manufactured”.
