Over half of all plug-in cars in the UK are registered to businesses, a likely product of generous incentives…
Plug-Ins and Businesses
Data compiled by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has revealed that most plug-in cars in the UK are registered with businesses. Some 58.8% of cars which possess some kind of electrification are in the hands of business drivers. Generally, use of the vehicles has increased across the board by 71% – reaching 748,349 cars, vans, buses and trucks. The growth has been recorded across all sectors, too.
It’s not particularly surprising that so many plug-ins are business registered. After all, the commercial sector receives ‘broader’ and more ‘generous’ incentives than consumers do. This has been the source of some controversy. Most ‘plug-ins’ will be hybrids and, as many observers have noted, many are driven purely as though they were conventional ICE vehicles; never being charged. The implication is that they’re favored because of their financial benefits, and not their (contested) reduced environmental impact.
Charging Infrastructure is Key
Mike Hawes, chief executive of the SMMT, has welcomed the rise of plug-in cars. However, he’s emphasised that there’s a long way to go in terms of electrification. He said, “Britain’s switch to electric vehicles continues to gather pace; with a record one in five new car registrations now plug-ins. However, they still represent around one in 50 cars on the road, so there is significant ground to cover if we are to fully decarbonise road transport at pace”.
He continued, “the first consecutive annual fall in vehicle numbers in more than a century shows how significantly the pandemic has impacted the industry, leading Britons to hold onto their cars for longer. With fleet renewal essential to net zero, we must build consumer confidence in the economy and, for drivers, confidence in the charging infrastructure to get the transition into top gear”.
There Are Nearly Half A Million Electric Cars In The UK – https://autoservefleet.co.uk/latest-news/there-are-nearly-half-a-million-electric-cars-in-the-uk/
All Fiat Models In The UK To Be Electrified From July – https://autoserve.co.uk/motoring-news/all-fiat-models-in-the-uk-to-be-electrified-from-july/