There are now one million electric cars on UK roads – a huge milestone for battery power.
The huge increase in EVs shows no sign of slowing down either, with one in five new cars bought or leased now powered by electricity – 20% up on this time last year.
And while it took just over 20 years to hit the million milestone, the industry is forecasting that the two million electric car landmark could be reached in as little as two years – saving five million tonnes of CO2 over that period.
The rapid rise is being driven by an influx of new electric car models from each and every brand, as well as a widespread public charging network such as the GRIDSERVE Electric Highway, that makes switching to electric easier than ever.
Last year, the Tesla Model Y was the best-selling EV, closely followed by the MG4, Audi Q4 e-tron and Tesla Model 3. The Polestar 2 rounded out the top five.
At GRIDSERVE, we’re matching the incredible increase in EV availability over the past few years with similar rapid deployment of High Power charging across the nation. In 2020 just one location offered High Power compared to the end of 2023, where customers had access to over 300 bays offering 350kW-capable charging.
Electric vans have also soared in recent years with 60,000 now on the road since 2018, with more variations of range and payload available than ever before.
In fact, 28 different electric van models were bought or leased in 2023. Currently, just 5% of new vans are electric but this must grow to 10% by the end of the year.
We’re helping the commercial vehicle sector go green with fleet solutions and our High Power charging sites suitable for medium and large-sized vans, plus our work on the Electric Freightway, which will develop a charging network for HGVs.
