EV sales growth bucks UK new car market trend Pure electric models increased against an overall market drop Pure-electric car registrations are bucking the current UK market trend, with continued growth in May 2019 seeing almost 2,000 units sold, an increase of 81% compared to last year. That’s against a backdrop where the total UK new car market dropped 4.6% compared to last year. Although pure-EVs are showing sustained growth – the last dip in sales compared to the previous year happened in March 2018 – PHEV registrations have dipped for the third month on the trot. More than 2,300 PHEVs were registered in May 2019, a drop of 41% compared to 2018’s figure, which sees a combined UK plug-in car total – EV & PHEV – of 4,352 units registered during the month. Despite current strength in pure-electric market growth, the sector still only made up 1.1% of total UK new car registrations last month, and PHEVs accounted for just 1.3%. The combined plug-in car market share for May 2019 is 2.4%, while the current share for 2019 is 2.1% and the 12-month rolling share is 2.6%. The continued growth for pure-EVs and drop in PHEV registrations sees the market split balance out, with the past three months seeing a share of around 45:55 for pure-EVs compared to PHEVs. For a long time, the total market split has been around a ratio of 35:65, and by the end of last year, the split was as great as almost 25:75. There is discussion as to what is affecting the UK plug-in car market most, with the effective removal of the Plug-in Car Grant for PHEVs no doubt a factor in the dip in sales performance. Likely to be far more significant though is likely to be supply issues from manufacturers for new plug-in cars. A number of popular models – both pure-EV and PHEV – have long waiting lists, and even suspended order books. Table courtesy of SMMT There doesn’t seem to be a lack of demand from buyers, but there is certainly a lack of supply. With new EVs due in the second half of 2019 and early 2020, it is hoped that increased choice will help mitigate any supply issues for what remains an important electric vehicle market in Europe. The backdrop for the electric vehicle market is the UK new car market as a whole, which sees diesel continue its decline. Sales dropped 18% compared to last year, and the market share is only 28% of total new car registrations in May 2019, down from last year’s 32% – itself a figure that was far lower than the year before’s 45%. Market share for petrol models is now at two-thirds, and alternatively fuelled vehicles – which bundle together the likes of pure-electric, PHEVs, and conventional hybrids – sit at 6% market share, with growth of 14% compared to last year.
Origin: EV sales growth bucks UK new car market trend
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Driving an electric vehicle saves you big bucks: B.C. Hydro survey
A Ford Fusion Energi electric vehicle being recharged at a charging station.Handout / Ford The longer your commute, the more you save by driving an electric vehicle, according to a survey released Friday by B.C. Hydro. The provincial power utility estimates that consumers could save thousands of dollars a year by switching from a vehicle powered by fossil fuels to one powered by electricity. A commuter driving the 80-km round trip from Surrey to Vancouver, for example, would spend $409 a year in an electric Nissan Leaf, according to the survey. Driving a fossil-fuelled Honda Civic would cost an estimated $2,200, or about $1,700 more a year; a Toyota RV4, $2,519, or $2,000 more; and a Ford F-150, $3,779, or $3,200 more. The B.C. Hydro calculations are based on an electric vehicle costing the equivalent of 25 cents a litre in gasoline. Gasbuddy.com on Thursday listed 10 gas stations in Vancouver with per-litre prices ranging from $1.55 to $1.66. “Fuelling costs for an electric vehicle are about 80 per cent less,” said Tanya Fish, a senior media relations adviser for B.C. Hydro. “The more you drive, the more you save on your fuelling costs.” Fish said B.C. Hydro wanted to look at the cost of commuting with an electric vehicle given that gasoline prices are so high in Metro Vancouver. “It’s very topical,” she said. “I think more and more people are exploring the switch to electric vehicles given that they’ll save significantly on fuelling and maintenance.” Fish said B.C. Hydro reported that last April that there were slightly fewer than 9,000 electric vehicles on the road. Now there are about 18,000. By 2030, B.C. Hydro estimates there will be about 350,000 electric vehicles in the province. They will use the equivalent of 1,050 gigawatts hours per year of energy—the same amount of power used by 97,000 homes. “It’s something we’re planning for to ensure we can handle the load on the system,” she said. She said B.C. Hydro plans to add another 23 fast-charging electric vehicle charging stations this year to the existing network of 58. A fast-charge station can charge an electric vehicle to 80 per cent in 30 minutes or less. The province estimates that consumers can choose from among 44 clean energy vehicles in B.C. priced at $33,000 to $50,000, before incentives. The lowest EV starts at about $29,000. Norway expects 50 per cent of new car sales this year will be electric. In March, the country set a new record with electric vehicles comprising 58.4 per cent of all new car
Origin: Driving an electric vehicle saves you big bucks: B.C. Hydro survey
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