Electric cars statistics 2023
As EVs continue to grow in popularity, new registrations are increasing alongside the number of chargepoints available. Manufacturers are also starting to produce vehicles with higher mileage to accommodate longer journeys. Here are the latest electric car statistics for 2023.
How many EVs in the UK?
The number of EVs on UK roads has been steadily increasing, albeit at a slightly slower pace in more recent years. Combining both battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), here is roughly how many plug-in vehicles have been registered in the UK over the last five years:
As of September 2023, there are more than 1,450,000 plug-in cars on UK roads. This is split out into around 900,000 BEVs (battery-electric vehicles) and 550,000 PHEVs (plug-in hybrid electric vehicles).
UK EV sales
In 2022, there were 267,203 new BEV registrations, accounting for 16.6% of all new cars, putting BEVs second to petrol vehicles. 101,414 PHEVs were registered, making up 6.3% of the UK market share.
In December 2022 alone, 42,284 BEVs were registered, a 52.62% increase from the same period in 2021, which saw 27,705 new BEVs.
By 2028, the number of EV sales in the UK for the year is expected to reach 573,100.
What is the most popular EV model?
There are a wide range of makes and models of EVs on the market, and different ones will be suited to different people’s wants, needs and budget.
As of 2022, Tesla captured the largest market share for EVs in the UK, at 21.4%. This was nearly three times the share of the next two largest manufacturers, BMW (7.7%) and Volkswagen (7.5%).
Tesla’s Model Y was the best selling model of 2022 by a large proportion, with 35,551 sales in the UK. The Tesla Model 3 followed as the second most popular, with 19,071 sales in 2022.
Which EV has the longest range?
Back in pre-pandemic times, the average range of an EV was a mere 150 miles. At the time, drivers in the UK travelled an average of 7,000 miles per year, equating to 20 miles per day. This means that the average EV driver would have needed to recharge their vehicle around once per week.
In 2023, the average range of an EV has increased by 46%, now sitting at 219 miles. With many companies in the UK keeping a work-from-home or hybrid working structure, the average annual mileage of drivers is now estimated to be only 5,000 miles, which is 14 miles per day. Comparing this figure to the new average range, EV drivers can now expect to fill up around once a fortnight. Of course, these are just average figures, and EV drivers can take certain steps to help increase their battery range.
Many manufacturers are now producing vehicles with much higher ranges, accommodating for frequent long distance drivers, such as those who travel across the country regularly for work, or who enjoy road trips with their EV. The current five vehicles with the highest ranges are:
How many electric charging points are in the UK?
As of the end of September 2023, there were 49,882 publicly accessible chargepoints across 29,709 locations in the UK. This is a 43% increase since September 2022. Out of these chargepoints, 9,209 are either rapid or ultra-rapid across 4,809 locations, a 68% increase since September 2022. Now in October 2023, the country has hit the milestone of 50,000 public chargepoints.
Greater London has the highest number of publicly accessible chargepoints (17,380), followed by the South East (5,812) and Scotland (4,245). Despite having 75.6% fewer chargepoints than Greater London, Scotland has the highest number of chargepoints per 100,000 of the population (47) when compared to England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Unsure of any of the terminology in this post? Check out our guide to EV jargon.
All figures and statistics within this blog post have been sourced during October 2023 and are accurate and up-to-date at this time. All figures are subject to change over time.
Sources: Heycar | Zapmap & Zapmap | Statista | Gridserve
Images: www.freepik.com
