EV statistics 2024

✔ 17.7% of all car registrations in February 2024 were electric vehicles

✔ 18% of total car sales will be electric vehicles by the end of 2024

✔ 100% of all vehicles must be zero emissions by 2035 under new government mandate

As of 3 January, the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate officially became law in Great Britain. The law states that 80% of all new cars and 70% of vans sold in Great Britain must be zero emission by 2023, before increasing to 100% by 2035. 

Manufacturers have been preparing for this mandate for months and as of February 2024, 17.7% of all new car registrations were electric cars, with 14,991 new electric cars registered. Looking ahead, electric cars could account for 18% of total car sales by the end of 2024. 

As the market continues to transition towards electric vehicles (EV), it’s important consumers are clued up on the latest statistics so they can make the right decision for them when purchasing one. These include how many EVs are in the UK, the price of installing an electric charger, and what it costs to charge a car.

How many EVs are there in the UK?

There are more than 1 million fully electric cars on UK roads, according to electric vehicle and charging point platform, Zapmap – and that number continues to rise. 

What’s more, nearly 315,000 battery-electric cars were registered in 2023, a growth of 18% on those registered in 2022. 

According to data (see below) collected from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the number of battery-electric cars has increased from 97,565 electric cars in 2023 to 1,035,248 year to date. This is only expected to grow as new petrol and diesel cars cease to be made from 2035.

As it stands, fewer than 15,000 diesel cars have been registered in the first two months of 2024, a 7.4% decline compared to the same timeframe in 2023 where 15,796 cars were registered. Petrol cars have experienced an uplift in the first two months of 2024, growing by 13.3%from 42,378 registrations in 2023 to 48,001 year to date.

What percentage of vehicles in Britain are electric?

At the end of September 2023, zero emissions vehicles accounted for 2.3% of all road using vehicles, compared to 1.5% at the end of September 2022, according to government data compiled from the DVLA. 

More specifically, there were around 942,000 licensed zero emission vehicles in the UK, an increase of 56% compared to the end of September 2022. This included 864,000 zero emission cars, an increase of 58% on the previous year.

Source: The SMMT

Based on the latest figures by the SMMT, around 37% of all new registrations were attributed to EVs, across battery electric vehicles (BEV), plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEV), and hybrid electric vehicles (HEV). 

Broken down and analysed from 2023 figures, BEVs experienced a 21.3% increase, while PHEVs increased by 30.4% and HEVs jumped by 3.3%. It’s likely this figure will only grow as consumers understand the benefits owning an EV will do to both the environment and their overall monthly outgoings following the initial outlay.

What’s the most popular electric vehicle?

Tesla Y model remains to be the most-popular electric vehicle in the UK, with drivers having registered more than 8,000 (8,626) of the Elon Musk creation than any other electric vehicle between July and September 2023. This is in line with the latest UK government figures. 

However, it’s worth noting that Tesla figures are in decline, according to the government data. Almost 10,000 (9,598) of the Tesla Model Y were registered between July and September 2022, meaning the model has experienced an 8% decline in just 12 months.

Moving up the ranks and one worth keeping your eye on is the MG 4 model by MG. Registrations jumped from 5,597 between July and September 2022 to 6,235 in the same quarter last year. 

On the PHV front, the Ford Kuga is the most popular among consumers with 3,117 cars registered between July and September 2023. According to Carwow, the average RRP range of a Ford Kuga is £32,080 to £42,455.

Do more people own electric vehicles now?

Consumers continue to gradually shift towards investing in EVs, with BEVs the most popular choice. As of February 2024, 35,926 BEVs had been registered, a 21% increase on 2023, and now occupy a 15.8% market share. 

This is closely followed by HEVs, which now occupy a 13% market share, while PHEVs occupy 7.9%. This is all positive for electric vehicles, with both HEVs and BEVs market share going from strength to strength. 

But overall, EV ownership has shot up over the past two decades. 

From 2000 to 2009, the number of electric vehicles rose from a mere 400 to 62,800 – a 15,700% increase. 

In the 2010s, this figure jumped from 83,900 to 758,200, presenting a huge 904% upward shift. And the good news doesn’t stop there. Every year since 2010, the annual increase in electric models has gone up. 

This is only backed by Eco-Experts latest 2023 National Home Survey, which found that 54% would buy an electric car if money was no object.

Are electric cars cheaper than petrol cars to own?

The average cost of running a 100% electric car is 9p per mile, according to UK government data. 

When comparing these rates to petrol and diesel, EV drivers stand to save anywhere between 2p to 15p per mile. The savings depends on the vehicle’s engine size for diesel and petrol cars. 

For example, if you’re currently driving a petrol car that’s over 2,000cc, it costs 24p on average to run. Similarly, diesel engines over 2,000cc will cost drivers 19p per mile.

How much will you save over an EV’s lifetime?

On average, a car has an average lifespan of 10-14 years and will clock up around 200,000 miles. An electric car, according to The Electric Car Scheme, is expected to last between 100,000 to 200,000 miles. 

In that case, what’s the key difference? 

An EV is powered by batteries alone, making them far more efficient than standard cars. 

“Electric cars are powered by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, which are more energy dense than the lead-acid batteries found in standard cars or rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries found in some hybrids,” a report by EV Connect says. 

“A lithium-ion battery’s high energy density means it produces more power for its size, making it ideal for an electric car.”

The cost to charge an electric car battery will depend on its size and where you’re charging it. However, all in all, Octopus EV claims you’ll be spending less than between 7.5p to 9.1p per mile and have an annual refuelling costs that are 58% less than for petrol cars. 

Of course, this saving would increase if you invest in a home charger. Fill in this form to see how much one would cost you.

How far can you drive an EV without charging?

The average range of an EV is estimated to be 211 miles and most cars on the market have a range of anywhere between 100-300 miles. 

It’s worth noting that anything with 200+ miles is considered a good range, but depending on your needs, a range of around 100 miles might be more than enough. 

For reference, 100 miles would be driving from Brighton to Bournemouth – a lot longer than one’s average commute. The average driver travels 18 miles a day, meaning EV drivers could go up to 11 days between charges.

An EVs range can be negatively impacted by many factors, including:

• Cold temperatures
• Driving at speeds over 65 miles per hour
• Headwinds
• How heavy its cargo is (e.g. you and any luggage)
• Under-inflated tyres
• The heating or air conditioning being on
• Your battery ageing

How many public charging points are there in the UK?

There are currently 57,290 public electric charge points in the UK, as of February 2024, according to the Department of Transport and ZapMap.  

Among these, 10,118 are rapid chargers, defined as 50kW and above. This enables EV drivers to add up to 100 miles of range in 35 minutes. 

The bigger your car’s battery, however, and the slower the charging point, the longer it will take to charge from empty to full. 

H3: Has the number of public chargers grown over time? 

Since February 2024, a further 18,308 charge points were added to the UK network, a growth of 47%. 

Growth has slowed down in the past year or so. EV charging points experienced its biggest growth between 2022 and 2023, increasing from 37,263 public points to 53,865 – a boost of 45%. 

What’s more, this current figure of 57,290 is more than five times the number of petrol stations, of which there are now 8,381, according to Statisa and the Association for Petroleum and Explosives Administration. 

Overall, the number of public chargers has grown by more than 30,000, making owning an EV more accessible than ever. 

How many EVs are there per public charger?

This number has fallen over the past few years, from 75 vehicles per public charger in 2015, to 53 per charger in 2022. 

Ideally, you want there to always be a free public charger when you pull up to a refuelling station. These numbers mean you’ll have to share with fewer drivers, despite the huge rise in electric vehicle ownership. 

But let’s flip this round; as of 2024, there is one public charger for every 18 EVs. By contrast, there were 13 charger points for every 1,000 EVs in 2015. 

This shows the likelihood of finding a free charger when you need it has increased dramatically in the past nine years – and looking at the latest analytics, there’s every reason to think this trend will continue.

Are EVs fighting climate change?

In 2022, EV drivers in the UK stopped the climate from being exposed to 8.4 million tonnes of CO2e*, according to our calculations. 

That’s how much CO2e would have been released if the country’s 2,313,900 electric vehicles were powered by fossil fuels instead. 

But as long as electric drivers signed up to one of the many 100% renewable energy plans currently available, their vehicles wouldn’t contribute to carbon emissions, giving them an emissions total of zero. 

That means that unlike drivers who use fossil fuels, each electric driver will save 54.14 tonnes of CO2e over their vehicle’s typical 150,000-mile lifetime. 

If every vehicle currently registered in the UK – all 41.3 million of them – was electric, we could save around 2.2 billion tonnes of CO2e over the course of those vehicles’ lifetimes. 

*carbon dioxide equivalent, a measurement that converts all greenhouse emissions into CO2 terms

Driving carbon emissions

The average driver in the UK drives approximately 7,400 miles annually, according to Britannia Car Leasing. This would mean the average driver emits up to 3.7 tonnes of CO2 every year. 

However, if you invest in an EV and use a 100% green tariff, it’s possible to completely eliminate this from your footprint. 

Road traffic in the UK released around 99.7 million tonnes of CO2e over the past year, which could be eradicated entirely. 

All it would take is everyone driving an EV that’s charged with green energy – which is completely feasible. 

While it’s strange to think it’s feasible in a cost-of-living crisis, EV drivers can sign up to 100% renewable plans with everyone from Octopus Energy to the big six energy suppliers, like E.ON.

Other EVs

It’s not just electric cars that are growing in popularity, though. 

Everything from e-scooters to e-bikes are attracting a loyal following, which will only grow as the UK moves away from fossil fuel-powered ways of getting around.

Electric scooters

Currently, you’re only legally permitted to ride public rental e-scooters and only permitted in areas who have signed up to a government trial. 

You also can’t use privately-owned e-scooters anywhere except on your own property – or with the express permission of the land owner. 

However, this could all be set to change. 

The global electric scooters market size was estimated at $37 billion (£29 billion) in 2023 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 9.9% by 2030, as reported by Grand View Research. 

Popularity of e-scooters is heating up in the UK, too. A 2023 report by Swifty Scooters found that 90% of respondents would consider purchasing and riding an e-scooter and 75% would consider an e-scooter to swap short car journeys for a cleaner mode. 

Looking at environmental reasons, an overwhelming 60% would consider an e-scooter to help decarbonise transport and 40% want to make cleaner journeys but can’t afford an electric car.

Electric bikes

The e-bike market is estimated to reach $501.37 million (£391.28 million) in 2024, which is expected to grow to $832.85 million (£650 million) by 2029, according to Mordor Intelligence. 

Although there’s clear growth potential within the e-bike market, volume sales fell by 7% in 2023. However, the good news is that volumes are still well ahead of 2019 levels. 

Not all is lost, though. Experts, according to the Bike Association, say volume sales will likely return in 2025. 

“While the first few months of 2024 are expected to be difficult, volumes are forecast to grow in the last to mid-single digits between 2024 to 2026,” the Bike Association reported in its annual market report on electric bikes. 

This decline is likely attributed to the rise in inflation and consumers were more focused on their monthly outgoings and budgeting, as opposed to improving their environmental footprint.

How will the EV market grow in 2025 and beyond?

With the government mandate now in place, it’s clear the EV market will only grow, as drivers will have little choice but to eventually invest in one. 

As a result, sales of petrol and diesel cars will experience a steady decline. Eventually, the only way drivers will own a petrol or diesel vehicle will be to turn to the secondhand market. 

According to the Announced Pledges Scenario (APS), almost 250 million EVs will be roaming global roads by 2030 and EV sales will represent over 35% of all vehicle sales. 

In Europe, experts estimate we will reach the first milestone of 14 million EVs by 2025. After that, some mention 33 million EVs will be on the road by 2030, while others talk about 40 million EVs roaming around Europe at the same time.

Will new entrants grow their market share? 

Projected revenue in the UK EV market is expected to reach $20.6 billion (£20.3 billion) in 2024 and is expected to grow by a further $8.2 billion (£6.4 billion) by 2028. 

Looking ahead, new entrants will likely capture market share in the UK, rising from 8% in 2023 to one in six new cars sales by 2030. 

The Auto Trader Road to 2035 report says for this to happen, these new entrants need to be more aggressive on price. 

“Since their entry into the UK market, they’ve launched models with a ‘brand premium’ compared to the prices available in China,” the report said. “The BYD Dolphin has a starting RRP of £25,000 in the UK, but in China, it starts at just £13k.” 

For the market to continue to grow, it’s clear they need to become more accessible cost-wise, as it seems drivers are being put off by the initial outlay cost. But rest assured, the initial outlay is overthrown by the annual savings you can make over an EVs lifetime.

Summary

The EV industry is well-placed to keep gaining on its fossil fuel-powered counterpart at a rapid pace. 

As discussed, EVs – while more expensive initially – will save drivers thousands over the course of its lifetime. What’s more, they not only save on charging and fuel costs, but drivers typically experience lower insurance costs with EVs as well. 

Drivers stand to save money further by installing a home charger, but public chargers are growing at a substantial rate. And you’ll be on the road in no time with some rapid chargers charging an EV in 35 minutes. 

But let’s not forget, it’s not all about electric cars. E-scooters and electric bikes are growing in demand, too. 

With models getting better and better, charging points becoming a more common sight with every passing year, and electricity already significantly cheaper than petrol, it’s clear that EV’s are the future.

Next steps

If you want to embrace progress and get involved, just fill in this form to find out how much an EV charging point will cost you.