New electric car registrations in the UK experienced their weakest growth in nearly two years during November, according to figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The slowdown comes just as the government announced a new tax on electric vehicles, raising concerns about future demand in the zero-emission vehicle market.
Pure battery electric car registrations rose by just 3.6% year-on-year in November to 39,965 vehicles. This marks the smallest increase since December 2023, when registrations plummeted by 34.2% due to supply chain issues and an unusually strong December 2022.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, warned that the combination of sluggish growth and the newly announced EV tax should serve as a "wake-up call" for policymakers. He said: «Even in a fragile market, zero emission vehicle uptake continues to rise, which is exactly what we need. But the weakest growth for almost two years – ahead of Government announcing a new tax on EVs (electric vehicles) – should be seen as a wake-up call that sustained increase in demand for EVs cannot be taken for granted. We should be taking every opportunity to encourage drivers to make the switch, not punishing them for doing so, else the ambitions of Government and industry will be thwarted.»
Market performance and new tax
The overall new car market fell by 1.6% in November, with 151,154 vehicles registered. Demand from private buyers dropped by 5.5%, while fleet purchases edged up just 0.2%. This marked the sixth monthly decline in registrations this year.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in last week's Budget that electric vehicles will face a new Vehicle Excise Duty of 3p per mile from April 2028. The government introduced the tax to address falling fuel duty revenue as more drivers switch from petrol and diesel cars to electric vehicles.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
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