Private electric car ownership jumped by more than 50% in 2020 as the EV revolution speeds-up

New research by the RAC has found that private electric car (EV) ownership has jumped by more than 50% over the last year, as over 30,000 new EVs were recorded on the UK’s roads at the end of 2020.

The Department for Transport figures, analysed by the RAC show the number of EVs rose from 56,000 in 2019 to 86,000 in 2020 – a 53% increase.  However, the now 86,000 privately owned EVs remains a tiny percentage of the 32 million vehicles on the UK’s roads. When company (fleet) and commercial vehicles are included, there are now a total of 213,000 electric vehicles on the UK’s roads.

The findings come as the Government is set to ban the purchase of new petrol and diesel cars in 2030, and then the sale of hybrid vehicles by 2035.

Previous RAC research has shown that many drivers are still put off switching to an electric car as they are considered more expensive and more difficult to fuel in public, as chargers are far less prevalent than petrol stations.

Rod Dennis, a spokesman for the RAC said: “It’s important that the environmental and financial benefits afforded by the switch to electric cars are shared by drivers right across the country. Our analysis shows the extent to which the south and east of England currently dominate when it comes to the numbers that are currently in private hands.”

Last month, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps launched a consultation on plans to improve electric car take up by making charging in public as easy as buying petrol.

The scheme includes proposals to make it easier for drivers to compare charger prices online and also look up which chargers are available and compatible with their car in real time. However, RAC research also shows that while there are now more than 20,000 public electric vehicle charge points in the UK – they are unevenly distributed across the country.

Motor manufacturers are rapidly moving their focus to becoming ‘all-electric’ with Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) recently announcing their are to rival Tesla with the Jaguar luxury brand becoming all-electric by 2025 and its Land Rover brand will release its first all-electric vehicle in 2024, the first of six fully electric models planned for release over the next five years.

Volvo also announced their plans for electrification earlier this week, as they strive to become a fully electric car company by 2030.

North South divide

Analysis of the Government data shows there is a growing North-South divide when it comes to who can afford EVs, with a third of them being in the South East and London while motorists in regions further up the country, like the North East, appearing more reluctant – or unable – to make the switch.

Some 17,820 of the UK’s 86,130 privately-owned battery electric cars are registered to drivers in the South East.

It means more than one in five (21%) of all privately-owned BEVs in the UK are located in the region.

Second in the list is London, with 13,605 EVs owned by locals, with a 60% rise year-on-year. It means that 16% of all privately-owned electric cars are in the capital.

This data correlates with figures related to wealth. A recent study by estate agent Savills claims there are 1.45million UK households with an income of more than £100,000, which accounts for 5.7% of the UK population.

At the opposite end of the EV-ownership spectrum, there were just 1,219 electric vehicles registered to private keepers in Norther Ireland – that’s despite a 23% uptake over the course of the year reviewed.

Also at the bottom of the table is the North East, with just 2.292 BEVs registered there. Uptake rose 37% in the last year, though, and sees the area account for almost 3% of all electric models in the country.