New figures show that electric cars accounted for nearly one-fifth of the new vehicles registered in November. Their sales are almost twice as great as those with diesel engines, according to these new numbers.
Last month’s registrations rose by 1.7% annually to 115.706 cars. Of those, 21,726 were 100 percent electric, compared with just 11,118 diesels.
This means that diesels account now for just one of ten motors bought in Britain. That’s a significant drop from a decade ago, when they accounted for 50% of the car market.
Sales of electric cars are twice as high as diesel. In November, 21,726 EVs were registered, compared with just 11,118 petrol burners.
Despite a slight increase in motor sales, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders states that the shortage of semiconductors which has plagued the sector for the past 2021 still restricts production and prevents registrations.
Auto industry executives said that November sales volumes should be seen in light of a weakening 2020. This was when registrations were affected by lockdowns.
The market is still down significantly compared to pre-pandemic, when 31.3 percent fewer cars were registered in a single month.
Mike Hawes is chief executive. He stated that “what appears to be a positive performance conceals the fundamental weakness of the market.
The demand is strong, as there are a number of electrified models that have been launched, but production continues to struggle and new registrations will be difficult due to a global shortage of semiconductors.
“The industry is trying to resolve these problems and fulfill orders. However, disruptions are likely to continue into next year. This will make it even more difficult for customers to order early.
Motor industry leaders pointed out that registrations increased year-on-year, but sales have fallen almost three times as much since the pandemic.
Seán Kemple, managing director of Close Brothers Motor Finance, said demand for new cars remained high in the run-up to Christmas but stock limitations are pushing buyers to second-hand vehicles instead.
“While the market has been open to opportunities, there is still pressure on it to stock forecourts with used vehicles to satisfy new demand. He said that the cycle could continue through 2022.
“There are no signs of improvement in the new car market, even though customers have registered for cars and joined waiting lists for six months or longer.
Last week, Auto Trader said used car prices had risen by 29 per cent on average in November, with a second-hand model costing £17,366 last month compared to £13,504 in the same month a year ago, with seven-seat MPV models among the biggest risers.
Additionally, the site noted that used vehicles are in high demand and that 25% of all models older than a year are advertised for higher prices than new.
Vauxhall Corsa will be the UK’s top-selling car in 2021, ending Ford’s 50-YEAR reign at the top
The Mini was still the most popular new vehicle in November. However, the Vauxhall corsa remained at the top of 2021’s sales charts.
There have been 38,306 Corsas registered this year, almost 9000 more than the Mercedes A-Class. This is in addition to the Corsa-e, which has also been one of the top-selling electric models within its sector.
Vauxhall’s fifty-year reign as the world’s best-selling car will be ended by the new Corsa, who is almost certain to win the title of Britain’s most loved motor.
The Fiesta, which was the most purchased new vehicle in the country for 12 years, has fallen to 8th place with 27,000 registered vehicles in 2021.
This year, more than 38.300 Corsas were registered. Ford’s 50-year-old run as top seller in the UK will be ended by the Vauxhall (also sold under the name electric Corsa-E, right).
In 1971, the Austin/Morris 1100/1300 was the most popular new vehicle in the country.
Paul Willcox (managing director of Vauxhall) said that the Corsa is the UK’s top-selling car. Electric sales are growing rapidly and it was a pleasure to help Britain move towards a sustainable future.
Ford could argue Ford remains the leader in this market, however. This is because Ford has sold more Transit Custom vans to its customers than Vauxhall Corsas.
In November, 5,809 Ford vans were registered, bringing the total to 49.671 in 2021, more than 10,000 less than Vauxhall’s supermini.
Ford’s Transit Custom vans were sold in greater numbers than Vauxhall Corsas 2021, according to SMMT Records.
Nearly one-fifth of British new cars purchased are EVs
The sector appears to be able to combat parts shortages through 2022. However, data indicates that there is still strong demand for electrified cars.
It is evident by the fact that 100 percent of battery-powered cars sold their highest ever share of the market last month, and this was outside of lockdown periods.
The Model 3 by Tesla was third in sales last month. Vauxhall Corsa’s Mini, MG ZS, Volvo XC40 and Vauxhall Korsa are all models that have fully electric versions.
18.8% of the market was made up by fully-electric vehicles, almost double the amount last year. Tesla’s Model 3 was the third-most-registered car in November.
The Mini was also a top-selling model, and it is now available in a fully electric version.
It’s the same for all other cars on the top sales charts last month including the Vauxhall Corsa MG ZS Volvo XC40.
The share of plug-in hybrid cars also increased to 9.3%, which is 10,796 units.
Only one month remains in 2021 and 1,538.585 cars were registered. Of these, 17.5 Percent have been either fully-electrical or plug-in-hybrid cars.
It means that 1/6 of new cars are capable of plugging in.
As electric vehicle demand continues to rise, the Tesla Model 3 was third in Britain’s most-registered car.
Last month, 18.8% of market was made up of fully-electric vehicles. This is nearly twice the number of registered diesel cars and almost double their share.
In 2021 there were 163,000 electric cars registered, but industry leaders claim that the charging infrastructure for public vehicles is not keeping up with consumer demand.
Combining self-charging hybrid electric vehicles sales (9 percent share), over a quarter (26.5%) of all new cars sold in 2021 have been electrified.
Hawes acknowledged the growing demand for EVs but stressed that there needs to be more to provide a charging infrastructure to support the increased number of plug-in vehicles on the roads.
The SMMT recently conducted an analysis and found that public charging devices are not being installed at a rapid pace. Between 2019 and 2020, the potential number of plug-in vehicles sharing a public street charger has declined from 11 to 16, with only one public public charger per 52 plug-in car registered.
The ratio of British plug-in cars on roads to public charging points (16:1) was among the lowest of all the 10 top global markets for electric vehicles at the end 2020.
He said that while the electrified vehicle industry is accelerating, it’s good for the environment and consumers. However, public charging infrastructure has struggled to keep pace with demand. Therefore, the government must quickly take action and establish binding public charger targets, so that all can join the electric car revolution no matter where they reside.
> When are car makers going electric? Our complete guide is available.
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