The growth of electric car sales in the UK slowed to its lowest point in two years after the news broke that the government was considering a pay-per-mile tax on EVs.
New data released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) shows that 39,965 electric cars were registered in the UK in November. Although this is an improvement of 3.6% compared with November 2024, it is also the smallest year-on-year growth in EV sales recorded for any month since December 2023. This was despite the ongoing rollout of the Electric Car Grant (ECG) scheme, which provides a discount of up to £3750 on mainstream electric cars.
Join the debate
Add your comment
Growth slowing in electric car sales makes sense right now. Many drivers feel unsure after hearing about a possible pay-per-mile tax, and that kind of news reduces confidence. People want clear policy and stable costs before they commit to an EV, so this dip is a natural reaction.
Given that the Budget was at the end of November, I doubt that it had any affect on the reduced growth reported. If anything the increasing number of EVs qualifying for the government price subsidy might have had more of a positive influence. Either way, it still shows some growth in the market and not much can be concluded from one month's sales data.
Growth slowing in electric car sales makes sense right now. Many drivers feel unsure after hearing about a possible pay-per-mile tax, and that kind of news reduces confidence. People want clear policy and stable costs before they commit to an EV, so this dip is a natural reaction.