Urgent action needed to “re-enthuse” private EV buyers, say car makers

The latest sales figures have confirmed industry warnings that private buyers remain to be convinced of the merits of battery-powered EVs, with just 15.6 per cent of the total number of EVs sold in April going to retail customers.

That’s a worrying 21.9 per cent drop in the proportion of EVs going to private buyers compared to April last year, when 22.1 per cent of all EVs were sold privately. In contrast, fleet sales continue to push the EV sector forward, as big government incentives on benefit-in-kind tax for company cars continue to drive demand.

As a result of those booming corporate sales, electric car registrations rose by 10.7 percent, lifting the April market share to 16.9 percent, compared to 15.4 percent in April last year.

Overall, the new car market in April grew by what the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders calls a “modest” 1 percent, to a total of 132, 274 units. Large fleet registrations accounted for 81,207 units – an increase of 18.45 per cent – while sales to private buyers declined -17.7 per cent to 50,458 units.

In the light of its latest figures, the SMMT’s April sales statement calls for “urgent action to re-enthuse private buyers into switching” to EVs. It points out that while drivers have the widest-ever choice of EV models, and increasingly compelling offers from manufacturers, “the lack of government incentives for private motorists remain a barrier that cannot be overcome by industry alone”.