Just one in ten private buyers chose to purchase an electric car in 2024 after being put off by high prices and a lack of charging infrastructure
Only one in ten private buyers chose an electric vehicle last year despite an ‘unsustainable’ £4.5billion in price cuts offered by car makers.
The industry therefore missed its government-mandated target for zero-emission car sales in 2024, figures show.
Buyers were put off by high prices and a lack of charging infrastructure, with 60 per cent of consumers opting for a petrol motor during the year.
Just 10.1 per cent – or 75,346 – of cars sold to private customers were fully electric vehicles, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
That was despite car makers offering £4.5billion worth of discounts in a bid to tempt consumers.
Industry leaders said the price cuts were ‘not sustainable in the long term’ and urged the Government to help consumers make the switch away from diesel and petrol.
It comes after Vauxhall owner Stellantis announced plans in November to close its Luton plant, putting more than 1,100 jobs at risk amid increasing pressure to adapt to net zero.
Industry giants such as Nissan have warned that the targets would have an ‘irreversible impact’ on the British motor industry.
Just 10.1 per cent – or 75,346 – of cars sold to private customers last year were fully electric vehicles (file photo)
High prices and a lack of charging infrastructure were thought to be among factors that put potential buyers of EVs (file photo)
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said increasing electric vehicle sales had come at a ‘huge cost’ to manufacturers, adding: ‘The billions invested in new models has been supplemented by generous incentives which are unsustainable.
‘We need rapid results from the regulatory review and urgent substantive support for consumers – else automotive investments will be at risk and the jobs, economic growth and net-zero ambitions we all share [will be] in jeopardy.’
In total, 19.6 per cent of all car sales were electric – a record level that was driven by fleet and business customers who were eligible for tax incentives rather than private customers.
The sector, however, fell short of the 22 per cent target set by ministers. Manufacturers that fail to meet the zero-emission vehicle goals face a penalty of £15,000 per car.
But last night the Government said it was ‘confident’ no car maker would face a fine, due to ‘flexibilities’ in the rule which give them extra credit for beating targets for reducing carbon-dioxide emissions.
Preliminary data suggests that when this is taken into account the car market as a whole will have achieved the 22 per cent target, the Department for Transport said. The threshold will rise annually until fossil-fuel motors are phased out fully in 2030.
Auto Trader director Ian Plummer said: ‘Hitting the next target of 28 per cent by the end of this year will be incredibly challenging.’
