Last updated May 26, 2023
Our guide to the latest electric car market statistics is a resource for automotive journalists, sellers, manufacturers and consumers.
We will cover key statistics on the UK’s drive towards electrification, the latest EV sales figures and the bestselling EV manufacturers. This guide also includes commentary on the current state of the EV market with recent and comparative data from previous years.
In 2022, 14% of all cars bought globally were battery electric vehicles (BEVs), marking an exponential growth from 2017 when just 1.4% of all cars sold were electric. Based on projections from the International Energy Agency (IEA), EV’s global market share is set to increase to 18% in 2023.
When it comes to electrification, the UK is slightly ahead of the curve globally; electric cars claimed a 16.6% UK market share in 2022. However, this figure falls short of the world’s largest EV market in China - where EVs secured a 25% market share in 2022.
Source: SMMT, International Energy Agency (IEA)
According to recent SMMT data, as of April 2023, there were 760,455 BEVs and 490,126 plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) on UK roads.
Since the end of 2021, BEV and PHEV numbers have increased by 363,958 and 141,774 respectively.
Compared with 2022’s year-end figures, EV and PHEV numbers have already grown by 14.5% and 9% respectively.
The UK’s electrification boom is showing no signs of losing momentum. According to projections by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), almost 500,000 new hybrid and fully electric vehicles will hit UK roads in 2023.
In March 2023 alone, there were a total of 76,233 BEVs 65,861 hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and 31,765 PHEVs registered in the UK.
Market share for BEVs increased by 0.1%, HEVs by 0.5% - and PHEVs by 0.4% compared to March 2022.
Source: SMMT
The UK’s 2030 ICE ban (which will end new petrol and diesel car sales) is inching ever closer – and is expected to further impact the market share of traditionally-fuelled vehicles over the coming years, clearing the way for EVs.
The race to expand charging infrastructure to meet increasing demand from EV drivers is underway. Recent data from Zap-Map shows that as the end of April 2023, there were 42,566 EV charge points in the UK (an increase of 37% from April 2022).
Source: gov.uk, Zap-Map
Source: SMMT, cap hpi
Year | Number of new electric car sales |
---|---|
2022 |
267,203 |
2021 |
190,727 |
2020 |
108,205 |
2019 |
37,850 |
2018 |
15,510 |
Source: SMMT
Tesla continued to preside over the EV market in 2022. Their Model Y was the bestselling EV in the UK, with 35,551 units sold, whilst last year’s leader, the Tesla Model 3 placed second with a total of 19,701 units sold.
Tesla continued to preside over the EV market in 2022. Their Model Y was the bestselling EV in the UK, with 35,551 units sold, whilst last year’s leader, the Tesla Model 3 placed second with a total of 19,701 units sold.
Car |
Number of sales 2022 |
---|---|
Tesla Model Y |
35,551 |
Tesla Model 3 |
19,071 |
Kia e-Niro |
11,197 |
VW ID.3 |
9,832 |
Nissan Leaf |
9,178 |
MINI Electric |
7,425 |
Polestar 2 |
7,345 |
MG 5 |
7,030 |
BMW i4 |
6,699 |
Audi Q4 e-tron |
6,594 |
Source: SMMT
Source: SMMT
Source: Cleantechnica, SMMT
December 2022 saw a record number of BEV sales (42,284), significantly surpassing September 2021’s record of 32,721 sales. (However, 2022’s record was eclipsed in March 2023, when an unprecedented 46,626 BEV sales were recorded.)
Month |
Number of new electric car registrations |
---|---|
Jan-21 |
6,260 |
Feb-21 |
3,516 |
Mar-21 |
22,003 |
Apr-21 |
9,152 |
May-21 |
13,120 |
Jun-21 |
19,842 |
Jul-21 |
11,139 |
Aug-21 |
7,388 |
Sep-21 |
32,721 |
Oct-21 |
16,155 |
Nov-21 |
21,726 |
Dec-21 |
27,705 |
Jan-22 |
14,433 |
Feb-22 |
10,417 |
Mar-22 |
39,315 |
Apr-22 |
12,899 |
May-22 |
15,448 |
Jun-22 |
22,737 |
Jul-22 |
12,243 |
Aug-22 |
10,006 |
Sep-22 |
38,116 |
Oct-22 |
19,933 |
Nov-22 |
29,372 |
Dec-22 |
42,284 |
Source: SMMT
In 2022, there were a total of 267,203 new EV registrations in the UK – the highest annual figure to date.
Source: SMMT
In 2021, a total of 190,727 new electric cars were registered in the UK.
Source: SMMT
At the end of April 2023, there were 760,455 BEVs and 490,126 plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) on UK roads.
Source: SMMT
In 2022, 267,303 BEVs and 101,414 PHEVs were sold in the UK (accounting for 16.6% and 6.3% of all new car sales respectively).
Source: SMMT