2022 electric car sales already higher than the whole of 2020

The latest EV sales data shows that 2022 has already seen more electric cars bought in the first seven months of this year than in the whole of 2020.

This data is from New AutoMotive’s Electric Car Count (ECC) – the most up-to-date and comprehensive electric car sales data in the UK.

It also shows that in the first full month since the government scrapped the plug-in car grant on 14th June, electric car sales have dropped slightly, with year-on-year car registrations down 8% in July 2022 when compared to July 2021.

That said, the data shows how the EV market is continuing to grow, with the top three manufacturers for EV registrations all newcomers in the industry. In July 2022, Genesis took top spot with 68% of cars registered being EVs, DS came in at second place with EV registrations making up 36%, and Cupra saw 34%. Jaguar came in at fourth place with 32%.

The number of diesel cars registered have remained at historic lows, accounting for around one in 10 new cars bought, whilst sales of petrol cars have not recovered since before the pandemic.

Ben Nelmes, Co-Founder and Head of Policy, New Automotive, says: “In the first full month since the government axed the plug-in car grant, electric car sales have continued to grow, bucking broader market trends during a generally disappointing month for overall car sales.”

“However, the UK can and should be targeting higher electric car sales to reduce motoring costs, wean ourselves off of Russian diesel and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In a month that saw record-shattering temperatures, it’s disappointing that 60% of new cars bought are still fossil fuelled.”

“July’s ‘soft growth’ in electric car sales is a warning light on the dashboard. The axing of the plug-in car grant was inevitable, but it has left a gaping hole in government policy on zero emission cars. The next government should move at pace to introduce a California-style ZEV mandate that boosts EV sales and reduces EV prices, improving access to the growing second-hand EV market for car-dependent households.”

For a full breakdown of electric vehicle sales by manufacturer, region and details of data sourcing and methodology, you can view an interactive dashboard, here. You can also find the July ECC report here.