British electric car sales hit a record high in September as new taxpayer subsidies helped to attract buyers in the most important month for the market.
Battery EV sales rose by nearly a third in September compared with a year earlier, to 72,800, according to preliminary figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), a lobby group.
The UK government reintroduced an electric car grant in July after intense lobbying by carmakers who argued that they were struggling to meet targets on electric sales, known as the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate.
The grant appeared to help some carmakers to sell more pure electric cars in September, while sales of plug-in hybrids, which combine a petrol engine with a smaller battery that can be recharged by cable, jumped by 56% to 38,300. Hybrid sales have boomed as struggling carmakers have shifted focus towards vehicles that are more profitable, amid intense competition, particularly from newer Chinese rivals.
The electric car grants of up to £3,750 apply to only about a quarter of battery cars on sale in the UK – including models from Citroën, Renault, Nissan and Vauxhall – because of rules on emissions during manufacturing that effectively block Chinese brands from benefiting, as well as an upper price limit of £37,000.
