Calls to cut ‘unfair’ charging costs as EV becomes best-selling car of June 2023

New data has revealed that the UK’s best-selling car in June 2023 was electric, however more must be done to encourage drivers to give up petrol models.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) revealed that 177,266 vehicles were sold in June 2023, an increase of 25.8 percent compared to the same time the year before.

This makes June 2023 the 11th consecutive month that the UK’s new car market has grown, following high inflation rates and supply chain issues caused by the conflict in Ukraine.

However, the SMMT noted, these figures are still below pre-pandemic levels, with 23 percent more vehicles being registered during June 2019.

Of the vehicles sold during the month, petrol powered models were the most popular, accounting for nearly 40 percent of the market.

Whilst the sale of diesels plummeted by 22.3 percent, electric vehicles continued to grow in popularity, making up 17.9 percent of new vehicles during the month.

This had led some experts to fear whether the Government’s current plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 is achievable.

Mike Hawes, the chief executive of the SMMT, said: “The new car market is growing back and growing green, as the attractions of electric cars become apparent to more drivers.

“But meeting our climate goals means we have to move even faster.”

Despite this, the best-selling car in the UK during June 2023 was the fully electric Tesla Model Y, with 5,539 sold over the 30-day period.

Tesla, which turned 20 years old during the month, recently announced that it delivered a record number of cars during the second quarter of the year, delivering 479,700 cars globally.

However, the most popular model during the first six months of 2023 was the Ford Puma, a mild hybrid powered crossover, with 22,765 registered.

To encourage more drivers to make the switch from petrol to electric, the SMMT is calling on the Government to cut VAT on public chargers during the energy crisis.

Mr Hawes said: “Most electric vehicle owners enjoy the convenience and cost saving of charging at home but those that do not have a driveway or designated parking space must pay four times as much in tax for the same amount of energy.

“This is unfair and risks delaying greater uptake, so cutting VAT on public EV charging will help make owning an EV fairer and attractive to even more people.”