Government hails record sales of ultra-low emission vehicles

Sales of new ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs) on Britain’s roads have reached record levels, the government said. Department for Transport figures show 9,657 ULEVs were registered in the UK in the last quarter (April to June), an increase of 49% on the same period last year and 253% on two years before.

The rise comes following the extension of the plug-in car and van grant scheme, which allowed more than 100,000 additional drivers to benefit until at least 2018. In addition to the grant extension, the government has committed to spend £600m in this Parliament to support the rise in ULEVs to achieve its aim for almost all cars and vans to be zero-emission by 2050.

The government believes the move to electric vehicles will help the UK cut emissions by 80% by 2050.

Roads minister John Hayes said: “I am delighted to see more drivers than ever are choosing electric vehicles. As awareness of the benefits grows, even more motorists will buy these cleaner, greener vehicles, which are cheaper to run. These statistics show our investment is making a real difference in encouraging people to choose electric and help protect the environment.”

Poppy Welch, head of the low emission vehicle campaign Go Ultra Low, added: “More and more motorists are embracing this new, green technology and helping Britain lead the global low emissions race. Electric vehicles have clear advantages, including low running costs and free parking in many locations, which is why it is no surprise they are becoming increasingly popular.”

Go Ultra Low is a campaign funded by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) and vehicle manufacturers working in association with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Go Ultra Low seeks to help motorists understand the benefits, cost savings and capabilities of the raft of electric vehicles on the market.

However, earlier this month the Environmental Audit Committee published its report on Sustainability in the Department for Transport. This raised concerns about the level of sales of ULEVs. Mary Creagh MP, chair of the committee, said: "The uptake of ultra-low emission vehicles like electric cars, is too low to meet the UK's climate change targets at the lowest cost to the public. Air quality targets that were supposed to be met in 2010 won't be hit until 2020 at the earliest. And it's been almost a year since we discovered VW had fitted cars with cheat devices, but government has still to decide what action to take against the company."

The DfT’s figures show the total number of vehicles registered in the quarter was 805,000, a 2% increase on the same quarter last year and are now above 800,000 for the first time since 2003, showing the boost the UK car industry gives the economy.

The statistics on motor vehicles that were registered for the first time during April to June 2016 are derived from data held by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), which administers vehicle registration and licensing records in the United Kingdom (Great Britain prior to July 2014).

In April to June 2016:

•       805,000 vehicles were registered for the first time in Great Britain

•       a total of 9,657 new ultra-low emission vehicles were registered for the first time in the UK

•       37.1 million vehicles were registered for use on the roads in Great Britain