Electric cars have achieved another milestone, with experts hailing the latest monthly sales data as the "missing piece of the puzzle".
Fresh data from New AutoMotive shows that 41,346 new electric cars were registered in May, representing a huge 31.2 per cent growth compared to the same time last year.
Experts suggest that this could be down to financial pressures stemming from the Iran war, leading petrol and diesel drivers to invest in EVs at a quicker pace to avoid expensive fuel prices.
Electric cars captured an impressive 27 per cent of the market share in May, making it one of the strongest months on record for zero emission vehicles.
New AutoMotive highlights how this is one of the strongest months on record for electric cars outside of the traditional December peak
The overall car market jumped by six per cent, with this being driven "almost entirely" by vehicles with a plug. When combined, vehicles with a plug make up more than 40 per cent of all new car registrations.
The decline of the internal combustion engine continues with new petrol registrations falling 14 per cent and diesel dropping six per cent. Even hybrid growth was largely flat.
Commenting on the data, Ben Nelmes, founder of New AutoMotive, said: "The missing piece of the puzzle for the UK's EV transition is finally in place. Carmakers have invested billions to bring a wide range of accessible electric models to market.
May was one of the best-selling months on record for electric vehicles in the UK
|GETTY
"Now we see decisive evidence that consumer demand is surging as motorists, spurred on by global events and rising fuel prices, are opting for electric cars."
Electric vans also recorded their highest total on record, with 2,213 new sales, with one in 10 new vans being zero emission.
Gurjeet Grewal, CEO of Octopus Electric Vehicles, said: “Month after month, the UK is proving that the ZEV mandate isn't a stretch target - it's a reality. Driven by growing consumer demand, the conversation has moved from 'can we get there?' to 'how much further can we go?'"
Tesla retains its crown as the best-selling electric vehicle brand with 16,227 new registrations so far this year, capturing 7.3 per cent of the market.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Tesla retained its crown as the best-selling electric car brand in the UK last month
| TESLAIt comes as Tesla celebrates its latest milestone with 300,000 electric car sales in the UK, having registered its record vehicle in Manchester in recent days.
However, a number of brands are hot on Tesla's heels, including Chinese giant BYD (15,320 ), Kia (14,799), Ford (13,924) and Volkswagen (13,430).
BYD, in particular, has seen year-on-year sales jump by 74.3 per cent, as drivers embrace the brand's affordable electric cars and impressive technology.
The UK continues to approach targets set out in the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate, which outlined goals for 33 per cent of all car sales to be electric by the end of the year.
BYD could soon overtake Tesla as the best-selling electric car brand in the UK
| BYDThese incremental targets will continue to rise over the coming years, including 80 per cent in 2030 and 100 per cent in 2035, when only zero emission vehicles will be on sale.
Tanya Sinclair, CEO of Electric Vehicles UK, said: "Why are we told that the public isn't ready, and the demand isn't there? 27 per cent says otherwise. This is the mainstream choosing electric on its own terms, because it's cheaper to run and better to own."
Similarly, Ginny Buckley, chief executive of Electrifying.com, said drivers were switching to electric cars because they're cheaper and less exposed to oil markets and global tensions.
"It's time to stop talking about electric cars as an 'alternative', because these numbers put EVs firmly in the mainstream of the UK car market," Ms Buckley said.