New Automotive February new car sales data: comment

Commenting on the figures for February's new car sales released by New Automotive [1], Colin Walker, Head of Transport at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) said: "One in four new cars sold in February was an EV, meaning sales are already ahead of the real target that the car industry needs to hit to comply with its sales targets for 2026. At a time when oil prices are rising due to conflict in the Middle East, the 1.8 million EVs [2] now on British roads are not just providing cheaper driving but also cutting the UK’s dependence on foreign petrol imports.
 
“But there is a risk that the mixed signals coming from Government, including the weakening of the ZEV Mandate last year, might come at the expense of British drivers. Policy changes that incentivise the sale of plug-in hybrids, vehicles that consume 490% more fuel than their manufacturers claim [3], will cost families hundreds of pounds a year more to run than if they owned an EV. [4] Hybrids also leave the UK more dependent on international oil markets which can be highly volatile particularly at a time of war, like those in Iran and Ukraine remind us.”