Sales of new ultra low emissions vehicles (ULEVs) are ‘soaring’, with record numbers of new ULEVs on Britain’s roads, ministers have said.
Department for Transport (DfT) 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 2 years before.
Roads minister John Hayes
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.’
The DfT said the Government is committed to tackling climate change and the move to electric vehicles will help the UK cut emissions by 80% by 2050.
The figures also 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.
The DfT said this shows ‘the boost the UK car industry gives the economy’.
The most popular new car model in in 2016 up to the end of June was the Ford Fiesta with 63,000 registrations, followed by the Vauxhall Corsa with 41,000; the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus both with 38,000 and the Nissan Qashqai with 33,000.
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