Sales of 100% electric vehicles increased by 72.3% to 17,243 units, giving them a new market share of more than 20%.
According to the UK employers’ organization, The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), UK car registrations totaled 85,657 units in August, a 24.4% year-on-year increase.
Employers have given assurance that the increase of 16,799 units in August shows the sector is entering a second year of growth, although the market is still 7.5% below pre-pandemic levels.
So far this year, sales in the UK market have grown by 20% to 1.17 million units, compared to 983,099 vehicles sold in the same period last year.
In the eighth month of 2023, UK diesel car deliveries fell 18.1% year-on-year to 3,647 units, and petrol car sales rose 9.8% to 34,756 units, while EV model sales were 17,243 units, 72.3% more, reaching a market share of 20.1%, which is a record in August and the highest level since December.
In turn, purchases of plug-in hybrid vehicles rose 70% to 6,601 units in August, accounting for a 7.7% share.
So far this year, sales of diesel models fell by 17.5% to 46,790 units, while 490,483 petrol vehicles were registered, an increase of 13%. Deliveries of 100% electric vehicles rose 40.5% to 193,221 units, which is the second most registered powertrain type in the country, while deliveries of plug-in hybrids increased 30.4% to 80,458 units.
The most popular UK market models in August were the Ford Puma (2,336 units), Tesla Model Y (2,313 units), and Vauxhall Corsa (1,941 units), followed by the Ford Kuga (1,779 units) and Vauxhall Mokka (1,763 units).
In the first eight months of the year, the Ford Puma was the best-selling model in the UK with 29,225 units, ahead of the Vauxhall Corsa with 25,692 units, the Tesla Model Y with 24,148 units, the Nissan Qashqai with 24,017 units, and the Hyundai Tucson with 22,883 units.
