For those of you still living in the dark ages the following news will no doubt arrive as a bit of a shock however, if you’ve had even the smallest interest in where the future of personal transport is heading then you need look no further. It seems to MotorMartin that there are certainly a great many more electric and hybrid vehicles out on the roads these days, aided no doubt by the massively increased availability of charging points at the majority of services along the main Motorways and A roads of this green and pleasant land. The emergence of genuinely useful battery range has also helped, as has exciting products such as those from Tesla and Mitsubishi with their Outlander PHEV and BMW with their i cars. Whilst concept visions from innovative manufacturers like Citroen with their amazing looking E MEHARI, which can be seen below in this short film from Citroen’s own YouTube channel, show us the pace of development currently being undertaken.
Bearing all of this in mind, MotorMartin was therefore not surprised at all to read that electric power could be the dominant form of propulsion for all new cars sold in the UK as early as 2027, with more than 1.3m electric cars registered each year, according to new automotive industry forecast analysis by Go Ultra Low, the government and industry-backed campaign.
Go Ultra Low have informed MotorMartin that they have collated data from multiple electric-car sales reports and forecasts, and its conclusions are backed by Auto Express, Britain’s best-selling weekly car magazine. The publication recently reported record high scores for EVs in its flagship car owner survey, ‘Driver Power’, with electric cars topping the overall best car tables and performing strongly in ease of driving and running costs categories, among others.
Commenting on the expected continued rise in EV popularity, Steve Fowler, Auto Express Editor-in-Chief shared with MotorMartin that: “The positivity and appreciation of electric vehicles by their owners in this year’s Driver Power survey is suggestive of a step-change in public perception of these vehicles. We are moving towards a tipping point for electrically-powered cars, so it’s entirely possible that by 2027 these vehicles will dominate the market as the top choice for new car buyers.”
The Plug-in Car Grant (PiCG) began in 2011 with just over 1,000 annual registrations of plug-in cars. Since then, record-breaking volumes of EVs have been registered every year – 2015 saw more than 28,000 electric cars registered. This year started with the best period for EV uptake since records began, with UK buyers registering the equivalent of one electric car every 13 minutes. With vehicle manufacturers introducing more and more electric and plug-in hybrid models, the new car market is accelerating towards a point in the future where plug-in power overtakes petrol and diesel as the dominant fuel type.
MotorMartin has been informed by Poppy Welch, Head of Go Ultra Low, that: “The huge interest in electric vehicles and their subsequent rapid rise in uptake has been spectacular so far, with more than 60,000 EVs registered in the past five years. These rises are just the start of the electric revolution as Go Ultra Low analysis suggests that electric vehicles could dominate the new car market as early as 2027.”
Go Ultra Low explained that they have analysed a series of market forecasts and trends for plug-in vehicle uptake considering forecasts by government, the Committee on Climate Change, the RAC Foundation, Auto Express and other industry authorities. With EV uptake continuing to grow, this new analysis by Go Ultra Low suggests that the Government forecast for all new cars and vans to have ultra low emissions by 2040 is on track to be met.
For those unaware of Go Ultra Low, they exists to help motorists understand the benefits, cost savings and capabilities of the raft of electric vehicles on the market. The collaborative campaign is the first of its kind, bringing together a consortium of vehicle manufacturers, Government and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
And to finish off, have a watch of the following short film provided to MotorMartin by Go Ultra Low from their own YouTube channel and maybe, just maybe, start to think a little differently.
https://youtu.be/WcuFcfQz4aE
Where will you go?