Britain is seeing a rise in electric cars – but how many cars on the road are electric? New research reveals all

The number of vehicles on the road reached another record high in 2023, but CO2 emissions still managed to fall thanks to a strong increase in the use of electric vehicles.

New data from Motorparc, published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), showed more than 41 million vehicles on UK roads last year, with one in 37 vehicles now electric.

In 2023, almost half a million new battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) were registered.

The report also shows that British motorists are keeping their cars for longer, with the average car on the road now nine years old.

The number of vehicles on the roads rose 1.7 percent to 41,404,589 last year, with car ownership making up the bulk of that, up 1.6 percent to 35,694,845 cars.

The number of BEVs in use has increased by 47.3 percent compared to 2022, meaning zero-emission vehicles now make up 2.7 percent of all used cars, or one in 37. In 2022 this was 1.9 percent.

The increase in the number of BEVs and PHEVs meant that, despite a record number of engines on the road, average CO2 emissions from cars fell by 2.1 percent. This was mainly due to incentivized investment by corporate fleets in electric vehicles, with individuals purchasing electric cars through PCP schemes for sacrificing work salaries.

Commercial vehicle emissions fell by -11.5 percent, as tax incentives successfully encouraged fleets to invest in electric vehicles, and manufacturers rolled out more zero-emission models.

These new figures follow a report published by transport solutions company Geotab, which found that Britain is better suited for a switch to electric cars than any of our European neighbours.

The research concluded that two-thirds of UK cars and vans currently used by private owners and public sector organizations could easily be replaced by electric vehicles.

In seven years, businesses could save £876,414 on a large fleet of 100 vehicles. And if fleets were to switch to electric, more than 19 million tonnes of CO2 emissions would be avoided in the same period.

There are now a record number of commercial vehicles in use, with 625,873 heavy trucks and 5,012,632 vans in use, up 1.7 percent and 2.6 percent respectively.

BEV vans followed the same upward trend as cars, rising by a whopping 43.5 percent to 61,161 in 2022. 1.2 percent of vans on UK roads are now zero-emission.

While electric trucks (trucks) are also up 146.4 percent by 2023, that number only amounts to just 0.4 percent of the fleet.

New trucks under 26 tonnes have the same sales end date as cars and vans – 2035 – so urgent action is needed to improve subsidies and infrastructure for trucks.

Road transport across the sector is getting greener: the number of electric buses in use has also increased by 159.4 percent to 1,922 units, making Britain the largest European market for zero-emission buses and coaches.

Despite a record year of registrations in 2023, the UK’s public transport fleet has shrunk to its smallest level since records began at 71,239 vehicles.

Further evidence of the need for greater investment in this sector is that one in five buses in use is over 18 years old.

The industry is calling for faster investment in EV infrastructure to drive the take-up of electricity across the board, as the latest analysis shows there is only one standard public charging point for every 35 plug-ins on the road – a figure which is virtually unchanged from last year.

Commercial vehicle charging in particular needs to be addressed as there is no clear national plan for van-specific charging points and only one dedicated public truck charging location for the entire country.

There are further calls – following the widely criticized lack of EV incentives in the Spring Budget – to offer private consumers similar electric switching incentives to those offered to fleets, to dramatically decarbonise UK road transport.

This includes scrappage incentives, as implicit scrappage rates for older vehicles have also fallen to their lowest levels ever.

Mike Hawes, Chief Executive of SMMT, said: ‘After two challenging years of limited supply, more people and businesses in the UK are now getting back behind the wheel – and increasingly opting for greener options.

‘Given the aging fleet, we now need to encourage consumers and businesses who have put off purchasing new cars, vans, trucks and buses to upgrade.

“A stronger and stable economy, coupled with a lower cost of living, would boost consumer and business confidence, while compelling tax incentives would ensure these purchases are emissions-free.

‘Not only would this accelerate the transition – fundamental to the UK’s net zero ambitions – but it would also boost the economy and improve the wider environment in which we all live.’