Battery electric car registrations rose 8.1 per cent in April, but the market share of 20.4 per cent is still significantly below Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate requirement.

Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) figures show registrations of vehicles with a plug rose with plug-in hybrids (PHEV) up 34.1 per cent and battery electric vehicles (EV) increasing 8.1 per cent to 24,558 units, taking more than a fifth (20.4 per cent) of the market.

Year-to-date the new car market is up 3.1 per cent and, with new fully electric registrations up 35.2 per cent, making these the second most popular powertrain after petrol but, at just over 20 per cent, still below the 28 per cent required under market regulations.

While Government’s recently proposed amendments to the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate requirements were welcomed by the SMMT, it says that the “targets remain incredibly challenging and more must be done to stimulate demand”.

Commenting on new car registration data Colin Walker, head of transport at the Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), was, however, adamant that any loosening of the ZEV Mandate would create issues, saying: “The Government’s decision to weaken the ZEV mandate policy puts… savings for regular families in jeopardy though as the changes mean car manufacturers will likely try to sell more hybrids which are considerably more expensive to drive than a pure electric car.”

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