- Registrations of ultra-low emission passenger cars reach all-time high
- Ultra-low emission registrations up 386% on first quarter of 2014
- Petrol Plug-in Hybrids take lion’s share of ultra-low emission market (67%)
- Motorists in the South most likely to opt for ultra-low emission models
THERE has been a boom in the number of ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs) bought during the first quarter of 2015.
Latest registration figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reveal that more than 41% of all alternatively-fuelled cars registered in the first three months of this year qualified for the government’s plug-in car grant, up from 13% over the same period in 2014.
In the first quarter of 2015, 8,573 passenger vehicles with CO2 emissions lower than 75g/km were registered, a year-on-year increase of 386%, as more drivers try ULEVs as great alternatives to traditionally-fuelled cars. The most popular choice was the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, followed by the Nissan LEAF and BMW i3.
According to research by pro-green campaigners Go Ultra Low, business operators are part of this surge in demand with those seeking lower maintenance fees and tax rates, plus the potential for reduced whole-life running costs, contributing to a 421% increase in fleet and business ULEV volumes in the quarter. Businesses running commercial vehicles also showed signs of increasing adoption of electric vans, with volumes up 263 units on January-March 2014, a growth rate of 353%.
Hetal Shah, head of Go Ultra Low, a joint initiative by government and the UK automotive industry, said: “The latest plug-in vehicle uptake figures prove that ultra-low emission cars and vans make sense for both private and business users, especially with the potential for fuel costs as low as 2p a mile and reduced whole life running costs.”
With CO2 emissions of less than 75g/km, all ULEVs are exempt from road tax. Other advantages such as typical annual fuel savings of £660 per vehicle, a nationwide network of free recharging points and no congestion charge to pay in London have helped accelerate uptake over the past five years, with more than 25,000 ULEVs now on UK roads.