UK DATA: EV sales reach record high of 381,970 units in 2024

Battery electric vehicle sales in the UK reached a record 381,970 units in 2024, up 21.4% year over year and at a record 19.6% market share, according to data released Jan. 6 by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

The market share was up from 16.5% in 2023, but remained below the mandated 22%, the SMMT said in a statement.

For December alone, BEV sales totaled 43,656 units, rising 56.8% year over year. The market share was 31%, up from 19.7% a year ago and also the highest market share since December 2022, the data showed.

"Industry has pulled every lever to try and achieve this target, with manufacturer discounting totaling more than GBP4.5 billion [$5.6 billion] in 2024, an amount that is not sustainable in the long term," the SMMT said.

"Billions of pounds of investment in new technologies and products over the past decade have delivered a record 132 ZEV models to the UK market, up 38% since 2023 to account for a third of all models available," it added.

Electric Vehicles UK CEO Dan Caesar said in a separate statement that the regular record EV figures showed consumers wanted EVs.

"We also see record private-used EV sales which shows that the EV transition is happening and why the UK is the second most successful EV market in Europe. EVUK expects these record numbers to continue through 2025," he added.

James Court, public policy director at Octopus Electric Vehicle said the zero emission mandate was clearly working.

"We need a swift conclusion to the uncertainty around the ZEV mandate and re-focus efforts of industry and government to make this transition a success, for everyone. A story that cleans up our transport system and ensures jobs for years to come," he said.

Colin Walker, head of transport at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said the UK car industry had proven its ability to make the transition to building the EVs of the future.

"Suggestions that the car industry was struggling and that the ZEV mandate target was too onerous, have proven to be wrong, and were often based on a misunderstanding of how the policy actually works," he said.

Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, assessed battery grade lithium carbonate at $10,650/mt and hydroxide at $9,500/mt CIF Europe on Dec. 4, down 33% and 40% respectively since the start of 2024.

Total new car sales up 2.6% on year

Overall new car registrations in the UK totaled 1.95 million units in 2024, up 2.6% year over year, making it the second straight year of growth, the SMMT said, adding that 2024 had been a "challenging year for the sector as manufacturers strove to create demand for EV in a bid to meet new mandated sales targets."

In December, overall sales remained flat at 140,786 units.

Hybrid EV sales in 2024 climbed 9.6% from 2023 to 261,398 units, with the market share at 13.4%, up from 12.5% ago.

Sales of plug-in hybrid EVs were 167,178 units, up 18.3% year over year, with the market share also up to 8.6% from 7.4% in 2023.

Meanwhile, the market share of gasoline and diesel internal combustion engine vehicles dropped to 58.5% in 2024 from 63.5% in 2023.

Petrol cars continued to hold the largest market share at 52.2% or 1.02 million units, which was down from 56% a year ago.

The volume of petrol vehicle sales fell 4.4% year on year, according to the SMMT.

The diesel volume was down 13.6% year over year to 123,104 units, with the market share at 6.3%, down from 7.5% in 2023.

Government consultation

The Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander announced Jan. 6 that the government had started a consultation on phasing out the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030, driving forward the commitment made in the government's manifesto.

"Our plans will restore clarity for manufacturers, provide renewed confidence for charging infrastructure investors and give confidence to consumers considering making the switch," she said in a statement, adding that all new cars and vans would need to be zero emission by 2035.

"The need to transition away from a reliance on fossil fuels has never been clearer, and the transition to ZEVs will play a critical role in quickly reducing carbon emissions and improving our energy security," Alexander said.

She said the consultation was an opportunity to consider stakeholders' preferences on technology choices and the types of vehicles permitted between 2030 and 2035 alongside ZEVs.

"In order to support the transition, we need to continue to accelerate the rollout of charging infrastructure...building on significant deployment to date," Alexander said, adding she had also announced a broad package of measures to make charging infrastructure quicker and easier to install, including simplifying planning rules, publishing the government's review to speed up grid connections, and continuing to provide resource funding for local councils.