UK: Plug-In Car Sales Still At Over 13% Share In April 2021

Vauxhall Corsa-e is the top small electric car in the UK.

By: Mark Kane

May 6, 2021 at 8:20am ET

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Passenger car registrations in the UK rebound from the bottom of just 4,321 in April 2020 (due to closed retail) to a more reasonable 141,583 in April 2021.

The passenger plug-in electric car segment grows nicely, reaching 18,752 new registrations (up 1,177% year-over-year) and once again taking more than 13% of the total volume.

Plug-in hybrids were selling a little bit better than all-electric cars, but year-to-date BEVs are still more popular.

"Total plug-in vehicle market share broadly followed the trend seen in recent months, accounting for just over one in eight vehicles, or 13.2%. Unusually, plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), at 6.8% of the market, were more popular than battery electric vehicles (BEVs) at 6.5%, following cuts to the Plug-in Car Grant. Monthly BEV uptake was down compared with Q1 2021 overall, however, as they had been running at 7.5% of total registrations."

Plug-in electric car registrations in the UK – April 2021

BEVs: 9,152 (up 566% year-over-year) at market share of 6.5%
PHEVs: 9,600 (up 10,000% year-over-year) at market share of 6.8%
Total: 18,752 (up 1,177% year-over-year) at market share of 13.2%

So far this year, more than 77,000 new passenger plug-in cars were registered in the UK at an average market share of 13.6%.

"BEVs are now expected to account for 8.9% of registrations by year-end – down from the 9.3% initially forecast in January, in light of March’s changes to the Plug-in Car Grant. With PHEVs anticipated to take a 6.3% market share, total plug-in vehicles should comprise 15.2% of all cars registered in 2021."

Sales YTD:

BEVs: 40,931 (up 109% year-over-year) - market share of 7.2%
PHEVs: 36,213 (up 162% year-over-year)- market share of 6.4%
Total: 77,144 (up 131% year-over-year) - market share of 13.6%

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This time we don't have precise numbers for best-selling plug-in cars. What we know is that the Vauxhall Corsa-e (in the rest of Europe known as Opel Corsa-e) is the top-selling model (3,968 in April and 16,381 YTD) and the top small electric car with 1,706 units YTD.

It's however far from the top selling BEV overall - the Tesla Model 3 - which in the previous month alone noted 6,585 units and Kia Niro EV (e-Niro) (3,269 in the Q1 2021).