Electric car sales surge as drivers see costs drop by '90 per cent' by ditching petrol and diesel

Drivers purchasing new electric cars surged, marking a 45.5 per cent increase compared to the same month last year and bringing the 2025 EV total to 223,729 electric cars.

It also takes the UK closer to its Zero Emission Vehicle mandate target of 28 per cent by the end of the year as more motorists turn away from petrol and diesel cars.

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Registrations of new petrol vehicles dropped 11.4 per cent in June compared to last year, while diesel cars continue to slide and account for just 5.6 per cent of the market.

Ben Nelmes, CEO of New AutoMotive, said the UK EV market was showing "astonishing growth" and praised manufacturers who were cutting prices of electric vehicles.

Experts predict that electric vehicles will reach price parity with equivalent petrol and diesel models in the next couple of years.

He added: "A typical household can save £1,500 by switching to an electric car, and as more consumers discover these savings, we are seeing growing consumer demand for electric cars.

"The UK's ZEV mandate is putting these savings within reach of more UK households and businesses, with another 46,000 motorists now set to benefit."

A variety of manufacturers are also moving forward with their electric vehicle offerings, including established legacy brands and automakers that have recently entered the market.

In the first half of the year, Ford saw its electric vehicle sales grow a staggering 332 per cent, followed by Chinese giant BYD and French staple Renault.

Sales of Tesla EVs have rebounded in the last month, allowing the Elon Musk-led brand to retain its 10.5 per cent share of the market.

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Tesla launched deliveries of its refreshed Model Y in June, boosting its sales as motorists choose the EV for its impressive battery range and a Cybertruck-inspired exterior upgrade.

Volkswagen, Audi, Kia, Skoda, BYD, Peugeot and Ford have all seen their electric car sales increase by more than 2,000 registrations in the year-to-date, compared to last year.

Fiona Howarth, founder of Octopus Electric Vehicles, said: "The data doesn’t lie, consumers are firmly switching to electric vehicles, driven by affordability, ease of use, and to get their hands on the latest tech.

"Now, with over 100 EVs to choose from, and the chance to drop fuel costs by up to 90 per cent, it's easy to see why one in four new cars is now fully electric. We have firmly crossed the tipping point."

Electric vans are also becoming more popular, with an impressive 10.4 per cent of the market share, despite the everlasting popularity of diesel vans.

New AutoMotive stated that this was evidence of businesses increasingly having confidence in electric mobility and transitioning their fleets away from fossil fuels.

In June, 2,823 electric vans were sold, which is almost double the number sold in June 2024. There were more electric van registrations than the total of petrol and hybrid van sales combined.

Quentin Willson, founder of FairCharge, noted that the gap between new EVs and petrol vehicles, which was just 7,000 registrations in June, was narrowing and would continue to do so for the rest of the year.