EV sales tipped to top 300,000

At least 330,000 new battery electric vehicles (BEVs) will be registered in the UK in 2022.

This is according to DriveElectric, one of the UK’s leading electric vehicle leasing companies.

This figure is based on its own forecasts, and it represents a significant increase from 183,000 – the number of battery electric vehicles expected to have been registered in the UK in 2021.

Meanwhile, the figure of 330,000 does not include plug-in hybrids (PHEVs).

It has made these forecasts based on vehicle shortages, primarily due to semiconductor supply issues, an increase in EV production, plus the introduction to the UK of many new models.

Meanwhile, there will be accelerated expansion of the public charging network, while UK businesses will increasingly adopt EVs as they move to reduce their corporate carbon footprint.

Mike Potter, managing director, DriveElectric, said: “EV registrations will continue to increase, however issues such as the semiconductor shortage will still have an impact on the availability of vehicles as we enter 2022. We see this challenge improving by mid-2022 and sales for the remainder of the year should offset the slow start, helped by yet more new EV models coming to market.”