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Figures from Go Ultra Low reveal that over 28,000 electric cars were registered across the country in 2015. That’s more than the combined totals of electric cars sold every year since 2010 – and a phenomenal 94% annual rise compared with the previous year.
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While just 21,486 plug-in vehicles were sold between 2010 and 2014, 28,188 plug-in vehicles were registered in 2015 – a 94% increase on 2014’s total of 14,532.
Plug-in hybrids proved the most popular with British motorists in 2015, with 18,254 registered (up 137% on 2014). All-electric vehicles increased to 9,934 registrations – up 48% on 2014.
Plug-in power is becoming a mainstream option for drivers alongside petrol and diesel, and EV popularity shows no sign of slowing.
Every region in the UK recorded improved year-on-year registrations for plug-in cars. Ultra low emission vehicles (ULEVs) proved to be the most popular in the South East of England, where 9,186 were registered in 2014.
With 4,420 registrations the South West proved to be the second hotspot for ULEV take-up, closely followed by the West Midlands (3,771).
At the other end of the scale, just 423 ULEVs were registered in Northern Ireland in 2014, and 557 in Wales.
The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV remains the most popular model. 11,681 were registered in 2015, representing a 118% increase on 2014’s registration figures.
The Nissan LEAF ranks second with a 29% hike in uptake (5,236 registered), while the BMW i3 came third with 2,215 registrations – up 59% year-on-year.
Over 30 pure electric or plug-in hybrid cars are now available in the UK, and many more – ranging from high-performance sports cars to capable family run-arounds – will soon hit the market.
Add to that the fact that you could save £750 per year in fuel by switching to an electric car, and it’s perhaps no surprise that Go Ultra Low reports 80% of the next generation of drivers think their first car will be electric.
Click here to see the full range of Go Ultra Low cars available and to find out more about the campaign.
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