The UK’s appetite for EVs nearly doubled in 2021
Long live the Green
Story byIoanna Lykiardopoulou
Ioanna is a writer at TNW. She covers the full spectrum of the European tech ecosystem, with a particular interest in startups, sustainabili(show all)Ioanna is a writer at TNW. She covers the full spectrum of the European tech ecosystem, with a particular interest in startups, sustainability, green tech, AI, and EU policy. With a background in the humanities, she has a soft spot for social impact-enabling technologies.
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Hope on the horizon
Despite the doom and gloom, we can at least suckle on abitof positivity: 2021 was the most successful year in history for electric vehicles!
Some 190,727 new EVs joined Britain’s roads, up 73.6% compared to 2020. This means that theEVmarket share has nearly doubled year-over-year from 6.6% to 11.6%.
Notably, in December 2021 alone,electric cars made up 26% of sales, representing one out of four new vehicles sold.
2021’s best-selling EVs in the UK
Will the positive trend continue?
Things seem to be going in the right direction.
Automakers’ investments look like they’re paying off. On top of this, the UK is working towards its net zero plan, this includes the ban of new petrol vehicle sales in 2030 and various charging infrastructure initiatives, such aspreset charging times and mandatory chargers in new buildings.
However, the number of public charging stations is stillunevenly distributed, the Department for Transport hasdelayed the installation of chargers in commercial car parks, and the government has cut the EV grant twice the past year.
This is a confusing message. If the UK wants to achieve its net zero ambition, it needs to embrace clarity and go all in on electric vehicles.
