British new car registrations jumped 26% in February from a year ago, raising the prospect of nearly half a million plug-in cars joining the roads by the end of this year, according to industry data released today.
The upcoming spring budget on March 15 should include setting out a long-term plan for investment in charging infrastructure to meet demand from battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid cars, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said.
The industry body also called for a review of the Vehicle Excise Duty premium that it said would unfairly penalise buyers switching to the more expensive electric vehicles.
"As we move into 'new plate month' in March, with more of the latest high-tech cars available, the upcoming budget must deliver measures that drive this transition, increasing affordability and ease of charging for all," SMMT CEO Mike Hawes said.
Sales of new cars in the UK jumped to 74,441 units in February, the seventh month of growth in a row, SMMT figures show, as easing supply chain shortages steered the market closer to pre-Covid levels.
Plug-in vehicles accounted for about a quarter of the registrations, with 488,000 of those set to join the UK roads this year, the industry body said.
Registrations dipped only in two segments last month - executive and luxury saloon cars - whose sales fell more than 15% and 6.3% respectively, SMMT said.
