UK reaches million EV milestone as new car market grows

Britain’s millionth battery electric car (BEV) reached the road in January 2024, while the new car market grew 8.2% for the month, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The first month of the year saw 142,876 new cars registered, the best performance for the month since 2020 and the 18th consecutive month of growth. The increase was driven entirely by the fleet market, which rose by 29.9%, while private retail uptake fell -15.8%. Fleets accounted for 63.2% of new cars registered.