UK Sales of Used Battery Electric Vehicles More Than Double

Sales of used battery electric vehicles (BEVs) jumped by 57% in Q2 of this year, even as the overall market slumped by 18.8%.

The data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showed that 1,759,684 used cars changed hands in the UK in the second quarter of this year, down 407,820 compared to the same time last year. 

However, 16,782 used battery electric cars were sold bringing the overall market share to 1.0%. Plug-in hybrid sales grew by 1% to account for 0.9% of the market. Hybrids (HEVs), meanwhile, declined by -4.0% with 2.4% of the market. As a result, used petrol and diesel vehicles remained dominant, totalling 1,682,280 units and accounting for 95.6% of sales.

The growth in sales of battery electric vehicles is certainly promising, especially given the ongoing semiconductor shortage, supply chain crisis, and the dire straits that the UK's economy finds itself in.

The SMMT says that declining sales were recorded in every month in the quarter, with falls in April, May and June of -16.8%, -20.9% and -18.6% respectively. As a result, the market is down -8.3% year to date on 2021, and -12.8% on pre-pandemic 2019.

"It was inevitable that the squeeze on new car supply would filter through to the used market," says Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive.

"Despite this, Britain’s used car buyers clearly have a growing appetite for the latest low and zero-emission cars, and we need a thriving new car market to feed it. The next Prime Minister must create the conditions to drive consumer confidence, especially in EVs, and the fleet renewal necessary to meet our decarbonisation goals."

There is a possibility that the increasing fuel prices in the UK − which rose by 6.6% in Q2 − might have spurred further adoption of battery electric cars. However, with energy prices set to double by October since the start of the year, it seems likely that drivers will hold off buying cars − regardless of whether they're new or used.