Booming electric car sales last year were a ray of hope in a troubled auto market as the global supply chains that hit manufacturers were disrupted, according to new data.
In its annual sales summary for 2021, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) stated that automakers sold 190,000 battery-powered electric cars nationwide last year, accounting for about 11.6% of total sales.
Given the growing appetite for greener vehicles, sales soared from 108,000 in 2020, when battery-powered cars made up just 6.6% of new cars purchased in the UK. In December 2021 alone, electric cars accounted for 26% of sales, a record for a single month in which physical dealerships were allowed to open during the Covid pandemic.
Against the backdrop of the global disruption in the supply chain and the lack of critical semiconductor chips, total sales in the UK automotive industry rose just 1% from 2020 levels to 1.65 million over the course of the year and remained almost a third below total sales in 2019.
However, the sale of battery electric vehicles is a ray of hope for the industry, the SMMT said, as the British bought more electric cars in 2021 than in the previous five years combined.
Mike Hawes, SMMT’s chairman of the board, said the lack of microchips, which are used in everything from windshield wipers to in-car entertainment systems, would continue to weigh on the auto industry in 2022.
“[It] will undermine the market for the rest of the year, ”he said.
“We believe the demand is still there, the demand is still strong,” Hawes told reporters. “The challenge is to deliver to the customers.”
Some manufacturers coped with the malfunction better than others. Tesla was the standout electric performer, and its Model 3 was the first electric car to rank in the top 10 brands for total sales. After Tesla reported record shipments this week, Tesla’s market value has soared to $ 1.2 trillion (£ 883 billion) in the past few days – more than the next 10 automakers combined, according to data firm Sentieo.
The Model 3 was beaten to the UK’s top spot by Vauxhall’s Corsa, which also meant Ford’s Fiesta lost its best-seller title for the first time in 12 years.
Hawes said the increase in the proportion of electric cars had resulted in average emissions from cars sold in the UK “falling significantly” for the second year in a row, after three years of rising emissions associated with bulky sports utility vehicles (SUVs). ). While the industry lobby hasn’t finished analyzing the sales data, Hawes suggested that it could be on the order of 10% or more.
Given the aftermath of the pandemic, total UK sales in 2020 and 2021 were the lowest since 1992. The industry is hoping for a recovery in the months ahead as signs of increased demand such as used cars cost more than newer models. Before the advent of the Omicron variant, the SMMT forecast that automakers would bounce back and sell 1.96 million cars in 2022.
However, Hawes said the industry remained concerned about the signals from the UK government as ministers urged that one in every 100 electric cars on UK roads should increase to one third by 2030 if sales of new cars with traditional internal combustion engines are banned will .
He criticized two cuts in electric car grants in 2021, patchy investments in chargers for the street, and a delay in plans to force parking lots to install a charger, first announced by the Guardian.
“It’s confusing news,” said Hawes. “If that’s what you want to do, a massive goal is to bring the entire market to net zero by 2030/2035 to do the right thing and do something that works for the consumer.
“Anything that raises doubts about commitment does not help the possibly fluctuating consumer.”
Top 10 cars overall
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Opel Corsa
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Tesla model 3
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Mini mini
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Mercedes-Benz A-Class
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Volkswagen Polo
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Volkswagen Golf
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Nissan Qashqai
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Ford Puma
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Kia Sportage
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Toyota Yaris
Top 10 battery electric vehicles
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Tesla model 3
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Kia Niro
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Volkswagen ID3
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Nissan Leaf
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Audi e-tron
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Hyundai Kona
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Mini mini
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Renault Zoe
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Opel Corsa
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MG ZS