The number of vehicles on the road in 2023 hit another record, but carbon emissions still managed to fall thanks to a surge in electric vehicle adoption.
New data from Motorparc, published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), showed more than 41 million vehicles on British roads last year, with one in 37 vehicles now electric.
During 2023, almost half a million new battery electric vehicles (BEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) were registered.
The report also found that British motorists are keeping their cars longer – the average car on the road is now nine years old.
The number of BEVs in use in 2023 increased by almost half (47.3 percent) compared to 2022, meaning the vital zero-emission vehicles now account for 2.7 percent of all cars in use or one in every 37 vehicles.
New data from Motorparc, published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), shows more than 41 million vehicles on the road last year.
The number of vehicles on the roads rose 1.7 percent last year to 41,404,589, with car ownership accounting for the largest share, up 1.6 percent to 35,694,845 cars.
The number of BEVs in use increased by 47.3 percent compared to 2022, meaning zero-emission vehicles now account for 2.7 percent of all cars in use, or one in 37. In 2022 , this figure was 1.9 percent.
The rise of BEVs and PHEVs meant that, despite a record number of engines on the road, average car CO2 fell by 2.1 percent. This was particularly due to incentivized investment by business fleets in electric vehicles, including people obtaining electric cars through salary sacrifice PCP schemes.
Company car emissions plummeted -11.5 percent, as tax incentives successfully encouraged fleets to invest in electric vehicles as manufacturers launched more zero-emission models.
How British roads work – graphic breaks down the different powertrains for trucks, buses, vans and cars.
The rise of BEVs and PHEVs meant that, despite a record number of engines on the roads, average car CO2 fell by 2.1 percent.
These new figures follow a report published by transport solutions company Geotab which found that Britain is better prepared to switch to electric cars than any of our European neighbours.
The study concluded that two-thirds of UK cars and vans currently used by private owners and public sector organizations could easily be replaced by electric vehicles.
Over seven years, businesses could save £876,414 on a large fleet of 100 vehicles. And if fleets switched to electric, more than 19 million metric tons of CO2 emissions would be avoided in that same period.
A new report from Geolabs found that businesses would save an average of £13,279 per vehicle over seven years (a typical replacement cycle for a fleet of vehicles) if they switched to electric vehicles, equating to a saving of £876,414 across a large fleet of 100 vehicles
A record number of commercial vehicles are currently in use: 625,873 heavy vehicles and 5,012,632 vans in operation, up 1.7 percent and 2.6 percent respectively.
BEV vans followed the same upward trend as cars, rising a whopping 43.5 percent in 2022 to 61,161. 1.2 per cent of vans on UK roads are now zero emission.
However, although electric heavy vehicles (HGVs) also increased by 146.4 percent in 2023, that figure only equates to just 0.4 percent of the fleet.
New trucks under 26 tonnes have the same sell-by date as cars and vans (2035), so urgent action is needed to improve subsidies and infrastructure for trucks.
These 2023 electric buses are the latest step in efforts to reduce London’s emissions.
The UK’s public transport fleet has shrunk to its lowest level since records began
Road transport across the sector is going green and the number of electric buses in operation also increased by 159.4 per cent to 1,922 units, making the UK the largest European bus and coach market with zero emissions.
Despite a record year of registrations in 2023, the UK’s public transport fleet has shrunk to its smallest level since records began: 71,239 vehicles.
Further evidence of the need for greater investment in this sector is that one in five buses in use is over 18 years old.
The SMMT is urging the government to roll out electric vehicle infrastructure more quickly, with just one standard public charging point for every 35 plugs on the road currently.
The industry is calling for faster investment in electric vehicle infrastructure to drive widespread adoption of electricity, as the latest analysis shows there is only one standard public charging point for every 35 sockets on the road – a figure that is almost has changed from last year.
In particular, commercial vehicle charging needs to be addressed as there is no clear national plan for van-specific charging points and there is only one public truck charging location for the entire country.
There are growing calls (following the widely criticized lack of incentives for electric vehicles in the spring budget) to offer private consumers electric switch incentives similar to those offered to fleets, in order to dramatically decarbonise road transport. road in the UK.
These would include incentives for scrapping, as implied scrapping rates for older vehicles have also fallen to the lowest level on record.
British motorists are keeping their cars longer – the average car on the road is now nine years old, and the average age of a car has risen by more than a year since 2019. Industry figures call for better scrappage plans to replace the old gas. -Devouring models with zero-emission alternatives.
Mike Hawes, chief executive of SMMT, said: “After two challenging years of limited supply, more people and businesses across the UK are getting back behind the wheel and increasingly opting for greener options.
‘However, given the aging fleet, we now need to encourage consumers and businesses who have put off buying new cars, vans, trucks and buses to upgrade.
‘A stronger, more stable economy, along with reduced costs of living, would boost consumer and business confidence, while compelling tax incentives would ensure these purchases are emissions-free.
“This would not only accelerate the transition, critical to the UK’s net zero ambitions, but would also stimulate the economy and improve the wider environment in which we all live.”
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