Rise in battery electric vehicle sales in April driven by fleets

Battery electric vehicle uptake in April rose 10.7%, pushing up market share to 16.9%, a rise from last April’s 15.4%, according to the SMMT.

This was sustained almost entirely by business buyers, as fewer than one in six new BEVs bought in April went to consumers, whose uptake volumes fell by -21.9%.

The SMMT puts this down to the lack of government incentives for private motorists, and says that this cannot be overcome by industry alone.

Providing private buyers with a similar level of support that fleet buyers enjoy would accelerate an overall market shift, fuel economic growth and deliver a sustainable, fair transition. The SMMT is therefore calling for a temporarily halving VAT on new BEV purchases. Similarly, altering the threshold for the ‘expensive car’ supplement to Vehicle Excise Duty – due to apply to EVs from April 2025 – would send the message to the market that zero emission vehicles are necessities, not luxuries.

Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said: "The new car market continues to grow even in the quieter months, driven primarily by fleet demand. This is particularly true of the electric vehicle sector, where the absence of government incentives for private buyers is having a marked effect. Although attractive deals on EVs are in place, manufacturers cannot fund the mass market transition single-handedly. Temporarily cutting VAT, treating EVs as fiscally mainstream not luxury vehicles, and taking steps to instil consumer confidence in the chargepoint network will drive the market growth on which Britain’s net zero ambition depends."